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China, Texas
Inside China's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 50% of mapped land, the highest of 9 cities in Jefferson County. A shallow water table limits basements on 51%, the 3rd-highest of 9 cities in Jefferson County.
That clay share is below Jefferson County's 56%. USDA doesn't rate the 25% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 923 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 563 homes, 51% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1979.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Jefferson 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 China
Foundation repair in China: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 50% of China's mapped land, more than in 57% of Texas cities.
About 500 of China's 563 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 China city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 49.5% |
| Urban land, not rated | 25.0% |
| Mapped soil | 981 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Labelle | 42% | n/a |
| Anahuac | 18% | n/a |
| Leton | 4% | n/a |
| Morey | 3% | n/a |
| Aris | 3% | n/a |
| League | 3% | 92% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.8% by land area here, and 50% 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: 98.7% of Jefferson County is in drought on the latest map, and 50% of China's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 51% of China's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Jefferson County
98.7% of Jefferson 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 China. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77613 | 73% | 32 | $2.1 million |
| 77713 | 27% | 891 | $130.4 million |
Homes in China
| Housing units | 563 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $186,500 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nome | 5 mi | 47% | 51% |
| Sour Lake | 7 mi | 67% | 58% |
| Bevil Oaks | 8 mi | 25% | 80% |
| Beaumont | 12 mi | 28% | 28% |
| Rose Hill Acres | 13 mi | 82% | 16% |
| Devers | 15 mi | 13% | 86% |
| Lumberton | 16 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Rose City | 17 mi | 18% | 42% |
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