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Bayview, Texas
Inside Bayview's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
That clay share is close to Cameron County's 29%. FEMA's flood data list 22 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78566 overlapping the city. Of its 351 homes, 28% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1997.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cameron 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 Bayview
Foundation repair in Bayview: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 27% of Bayview's mapped land.
About 300 of Bayview's 351 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 Bayview city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 28.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.4% |
| Mapped soil | 2,962 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Laredo | 52% | 0% |
| Olmito | 17% | n/a |
| Harlingen | 10% | n/a |
| Cameron | 2% | n/a |
| Chargo | 1% | n/a |
| Lomalta | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.5% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 83.8% of Cameron County is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Bayview's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Drought in Cameron County
83.8% of Cameron 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 Bayview. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78566 | 100% | 22 | $596,200 |
Homes in Bayview
| Housing units | 351 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 44% |
| Owner-occupied | 94% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $313,100 |
| Single-family detached | 98% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Vista | 7 mi | 34% | 64% |
| Los Fresnos | 7 mi | 45% | 10% |
| Port Isabel | 7 mi | 7% | 54% |
| Indian Lake | 7 mi | 15% | 0% |
| Brownsville | 11 mi | 41% | 31% |
| Rancho Viejo | 12 mi | 26% | 5% |
| Rio Hondo | 13 mi | 39% | 21% |
| South Padre Island | 14 mi | 0% | 50% |
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