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Beach City, Texas
Inside Beach City's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 5 cities in Chambers County. A shallow water table limits basements on 40%, the 4th-highest of 5 cities in Chambers County.
That clay share is below Chambers County's 63%. FEMA's flood data list 318 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77523 overlapping the city. Of its 1,488 homes, 27% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1997.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Chambers 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 Beach City
Foundation repair in Beach City: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 22% of Beach City's mapped land.
About 1,400 of Beach City's 1,488 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 Beach City city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 22.1% |
| Mapped soil | 2,881 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Morey | 31% | n/a |
| League | 18% | 92% |
| Texla | 10% | n/a |
| Meaton | 7% | n/a |
| Dylan | 2% | n/a |
| Anahuac | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.5% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Chambers County is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Beach City's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 40% of Beach City's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Chambers County
100% of Chambers 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 Beach City. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77523 | 100% | 318 | $21.6 million |
Homes in Beach City
| Housing units | 1,488 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 40% |
| Owner-occupied | 89% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $496,900 |
| Single-family detached | 94% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cove | 6 mi | 72% | 51% |
| Baytown | 7 mi | 61% | 59% |
| Mont Belvieu | 8 mi | 42% | 44% |
| Old River-Winfree | 9 mi | 63% | 39% |
| Anahuac | 10 mi | 69% | 71% |
| Morgan's Point | 10 mi | 36% | 23% |
| La Porte | 13 mi | 74% | 39% |
| Shoreacres | 13 mi | 68% | 39% |
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