HomeTexasZavala CountyCrystal City
Crystal City, Texas
Inside Crystal City's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Zavala County's 28%. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78839 overlapping the city. Of its 2,526 homes, 62% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1973.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Zavala 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 Crystal City
Foundation repair in Crystal City: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 37% of Crystal City's mapped land.
About 1,700 of Crystal City's 2,526 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 Crystal City city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 42.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.8% |
| Mapped soil | 2,358 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Tonio | 29% | n/a |
| Pryor | 27% | n/a |
| Brystal | 15% | n/a |
| Maverick | 5% | n/a |
| Cochina | 4% | n/a |
| Verick | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Zavala County is in drought on the latest map, and 37% of Crystal City's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Drought in Zavala County
100% of Zavala 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 Crystal City. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78839 | 100% | 9 | $478,873 |
Homes in Crystal City
| Housing units | 2,526 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $109,100 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrizo Springs | 12 mi | 3% | under 1% |
| Asherton | 17 mi | 8% | 0% |
| Big Wells | 18 mi | 47% | under 1% |
| Uvalde | 36 mi | 23% | under 1% |
| Eagle Pass | 39 mi | 41% | 0% |
| Dilley | 39 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Cotulla | 40 mi | 3% | under 1% |
| Pearsall | 46 mi | 1% | 1% |
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