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Canton, Texas
Inside Canton's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 55% of mapped land, higher than 61% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 38%, the 4th-highest of 7 cities in Van Zandt County.
That clay share is above Van Zandt County's 46%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75103 overlapping the city. Of its 1,974 homes, 55% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1978.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Van Zandt 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 Canton
Foundation repair in Canton: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 55% of Canton's mapped land, more than in 61% of Texas cities.
About 1,500 of Canton's 1,974 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 Canton city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 55.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 56.2% |
| Mapped soil | 4,240 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.7% by land area here, and 56% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 55% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Van Zandt County is in drought on the latest map, and 55% of Canton's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 38% of Canton's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Van Zandt County
100% of Van Zandt 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 Canton. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75103 | 97% | 2 | $92,392 |
Homes in Canton
| Housing units | 1,974 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,900 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood | 10 mi | 75% | 71% |
| Fruitvale | 10 mi | 62% | 53% |
| Grand Saline | 12 mi | 58% | 36% |
| Van | 13 mi | 75% | 81% |
| Wills Point | 14 mi | 84% | 6% |
| Mabank | 19 mi | 73% | 13% |
| Eustace | 19 mi | 68% | 40% |
| Edom | 19 mi | under 1% | 16% |
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