HomeTexasTyler CountyChester
Chester, Texas
Inside Chester's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 42% of mapped land, the highest of 4 cities in Tyler County. A shallow water table limits basements on 30%, the 2nd-highest of 4 cities in Tyler County.
That clay share is above Tyler County's 18%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75936 overlapping the city. Of its 102 homes, 78% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1971.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Tyler 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 Chester
Foundation repair in Chester: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 42% of Chester's mapped land, more than in 51% of Texas cities.
About 100 of Chester's 102 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 Chester city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 41.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 58.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,018 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Redco | 17% | n/a |
| Woodville | 16% | n/a |
| Burkeville | 13% | n/a |
| Laneville | 8% | n/a |
| Choates | 8% | n/a |
| Hillister | 8% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.1% by land area here, and 59% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 42% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 56% of Tyler County is in drought on the latest map, and 42% of Chester's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 30% of Chester's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Tyler County
56% of Tyler 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 Chester. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75936 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Chester
| Housing units | 102 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 78% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 92% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $118,800 |
| Single-family detached | 91% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colmesneil | 11 mi | 3% | 7% |
| Corrigan | 14 mi | under 1% | 72% |
| Woodville | 15 mi | 6% | 32% |
| Seven Oaks | 16 mi | 8% | 83% |
| Zavalla | 20 mi | 10% | 32% |
| Ivanhoe | 20 mi | 2% | 13% |
| Diboll | 21 mi | 11% | 63% |
| Burke | 24 mi | 4% | 79% |
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