Burleson County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 50% of Burleson County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 17%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Burleson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 50.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 50.8% |
| Mapped soil | 433,644 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Padina | 10% | n/a |
| Ships | 6% | n/a |
| Zulch | 6% | n/a |
| Zack | 4% | n/a |
| Uhland | 4% | n/a |
| Singleton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX051 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 51% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 50% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 50% of Burleson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 17% of Burleson County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 30.79 in, 10.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.84 in.
USDA rates 71% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 4.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $737,595 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.84 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.79 in (-10.05) |
| 2025 | 34.09 in (-6.75) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 63.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 17.85 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CALDWELL (5 mi away) | 14.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,579 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $191,000 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Burleson County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell | 72% | 4% | 1,968 |
| Snook | 70% | 15% | 410 |
| Somerville | 60% | 30% | 607 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazos County, TX | 22 mi | 57% | 26% |
| Washington County, TX | 23 mi | 54% | 9% |
| Lee County, TX | 24 mi | 48% | 25% |
| Milam County, TX | 30 mi | 61% | 12% |
| Robertson County, TX | 37 mi | 31% | 19% |
| Grimes County, TX | 38 mi | 61% | 40% |
| Fayette County, TX | 45 mi | 67% | 14% |
| Austin County, TX | 47 mi | 38% | 20% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status