HomeTexasGalveston CountyBayou Vista
Bayou Vista, Texas
Inside Bayou Vista's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 68%.
That clay share is above Galveston County's 23%. USDA doesn't rate the 31% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 768 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77563 overlapping the city. Of its 1,151 homes, 53% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1979.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Galveston County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Bayou Vista
Foundation repair in Bayou Vista: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 35% of Bayou Vista's mapped land.
About 1,100 of Bayou Vista's 1,151 homes are detached houses.
| Who designs the repair | The ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Bayou Vista city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 31.3% |
| Mapped soil | 287 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Francitas | 35% | n/a |
| Sievers | 2% | n/a |
| Ijam | 1% | n/a |
| Jonesbay | 1% | n/a |
| Tracosa | under 1% | n/a |
| Amarada | under 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.4% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Galveston County is in drought on the latest map, and 35% of Bayou Vista's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 68% of Bayou Vista's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 67% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Galveston County
100% of Galveston County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Bayou Vista. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77563 | 100% | 768 | $30.3 million |
Homes in Bayou Vista
| Housing units | 1,151 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 89% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $375,600 |
| Single-family detached | 95% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiki Island | 2 mi | 5% | 68% |
| La Marque | 4 mi | 61% | 64% |
| Hitchcock | 5 mi | 40% | 94% |
| Texas City | 7 mi | 16% | 32% |
| Jamaica Beach | 10 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Galveston | 10 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Santa Fe | 11 mi | 6% | 92% |
| Dickinson | 11 mi | 66% | 74% |
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