HomeTexasBurleson CountyCaldwell
Caldwell, Texas
Inside Caldwell's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 72% of mapped land, the highest of 3 cities in Burleson County. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Burleson County.
That clay share is above Burleson County's 50%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77836 overlapping the city. Of its 1,968 homes, 30% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1990.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Burleson 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 Caldwell
Foundation repair in Caldwell: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 72% of Caldwell's mapped land, more than in 76% of Texas cities.
About 1,300 of Caldwell's 1,968 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 Caldwell city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 72.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 61.4% |
| Mapped soil | 2,758 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.5% by land area here, and 61% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 72% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Burleson County is in drought on the latest map, and 72% of Caldwell's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Burleson County
100% of Burleson 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 Caldwell. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77836 | 100% | 3 | $75,720 |
Homes in Caldwell
| Housing units | 1,968 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 34% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $220,800 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snook | 14 mi | 70% | 15% |
| Milano | 15 mi | 61% | 47% |
| Somerville | 16 mi | 60% | 30% |
| Lexington | 20 mi | 46% | 4% |
| Rockdale | 20 mi | 64% | 34% |
| Bryan | 21 mi | 56% | 22% |
| College Station | 24 mi | 57% | 23% |
| Burton | 24 mi | 48% | 0% |
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