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Bastrop, Texas

Inside Bastrop's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 3 cities in Bastrop County. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%, the highest of 3 cities in Bastrop County.

That clay share is below Bastrop County's 52%. FEMA's flood data list 68 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78602 overlapping the city. Of its 5,100 homes, 34% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2000.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Bastrop County

26%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

68

flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP

34%

of homes built before 1980

Foundation repair in Bastrop

Foundation repair in Bastrop: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 26% of Bastrop's mapped land.

About 3,600 of Bastrop's 5,100 homes are detached houses.

Who designs the repairThe ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines)
PricesCost guide ranges compared

Soil under Bastrop city limits

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)25.6%
High water table (limits basements)7.0%
Septic fields very limited69.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)25.6%
Mapped soil6,401 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Bosque18%n/a
Edge14%n/a
Smithville14%n/a
Jedd12%n/a
Crockett8%94%
Sayers4%n/a
Bastrop CountyBastrop
Bastrop city limits inside Bastrop County, shaded by the city's expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 26% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Bastrop County is in drought on the latest map, and 26% of Bastrop's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought in Bastrop County

100% of Bastrop County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026

Flood losses by ZIP code

FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Bastrop. ZIP areas reach past city limits.

ZIPShare of city landFlood lossesPaid
78602100%68$2.1 million

Homes in Bastrop

Housing units5,100
Median year built2000
Built before 198034%
Built 2000 or later50%
Owner-occupied56%
Median value, owner-occupied$339,600
Single-family detached71%

Nearby cities

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Smithville 13 mi 20% 5%
Webberville 13 mi 32% 1%
Elgin 17 mi 83% 4%
Manor 22 mi 84% 1%
Mustang Ridge 23 mi 88% under 1%
Coupland 24 mi 81% 1%
Giddings 24 mi 86% 48%
Creedmoor 25 mi 85% under 1%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status