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Bishop, Texas
Inside Bishop's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 96% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 8 cities in Nueces County. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%, the 4th-highest of 8 cities in Nueces County.
That clay share is above Nueces County's 56%. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78343 overlapping the city. Of its 1,448 homes, 57% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1973.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Nueces 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 Bishop
Foundation repair in Bishop: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 96% of Bishop's mapped land, more than in 99% of Texas cities.
About 1,200 of Bishop's 1,448 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 Bishop city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 96.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 18.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 96.4% |
| Mapped soil | 1,538 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 94% | 99% |
| Cranell | 2% | n/a |
| Aransas | 2% | n/a |
| Edroy | 1% | n/a |
| Monteola | under 1% | n/a |
| Orelia | under 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 18.5% by land area here, and 96% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 96% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Nueces County is in drought on the latest map, and 96% of Bishop's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Nueces County
100% of Nueces 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 Bishop. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78343 | 100% | 8 | $307,939 |
Homes in Bishop
| Housing units | 1,448 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $111,800 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsville | 7 mi | 62% | 1% |
| Driscoll | 7 mi | 93% | 1% |
| Petronila | 12 mi | 93% | 1% |
| Agua Dulce | 15 mi | 97% | 1% |
| Robstown | 16 mi | 90% | 2% |
| Alice | 20 mi | 49% | 14% |
| Premont | 25 mi | 49% | 24% |
| Orange Grove | 27 mi | 82% | 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