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Bridge City, Texas
Inside Bridge City's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 7 cities in Orange County. A shallow water table limits basements on 56%, the highest of 7 cities in Orange County.
That clay share is above Orange County's 26%. USDA doesn't rate the 26% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 2,890 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 3,904 homes, 48% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1981.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Orange County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Bridge City
Foundation repair in Bridge City: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 47% of Bridge City's mapped land, more than in 54% of Texas cities.
About 3,200 of Bridge City's 3,904 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 Bridge City city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 55.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 63.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 53.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 26.2% |
| Mapped soil | 4,462 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Orcadia | 42% | n/a |
| Bancker | 6% | n/a |
| Anahuac | 6% | n/a |
| Ijam | 4% | n/a |
| Leton | 2% | n/a |
| Labelle | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% by land area here, and 53% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Orange County is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Bridge City's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 56% of Bridge 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 63% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Orange County
100% of Orange 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 Bridge City. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77611 | 89% | 920 | $69.5 million |
| 77630 | 11% | 1,970 | $176.7 million |
Homes in Bridge City
| Housing units | 3,904 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $202,800 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Orange | 6 mi | 66% | 28% |
| Pinehurst | 7 mi | 67% | 6% |
| Groves | 7 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Orange | 8 mi | 35% | 35% |
| Port Neches | 9 mi | 29% | 28% |
| Port Arthur | 10 mi | 31% | 41% |
| Nederland | 11 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Vidor | 11 mi | 38% | 52% |
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