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Dawson, Texas
Inside Dawson's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 83% of mapped land, higher than 90% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Navarro County's 75%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76639 overlapping the city. Of its 549 homes, 59% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1967.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Navarro 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 Dawson
Foundation repair in Dawson: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 83% of Dawson's mapped land, more than in 90% of Texas cities.
About 400 of Dawson's 549 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 Dawson city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 83.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 83.4% |
| Mapped soil | 1,157 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.8% by land area here, and 83% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 83% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Navarro County is in drought on the latest map, and 83% of Dawson's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Navarro County
100% of Navarro 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 Dawson. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76639 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Dawson
| Housing units | 549 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,700 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubbard | 6 mi | 87% | under 1% |
| Coolidge | 11 mi | 81% | 0% |
| Malone | 11 mi | 84% | under 1% |
| Penelope | 13 mi | 88% | 1% |
| Blooming Grove | 14 mi | 86% | 0% |
| Mount Calm | 14 mi | 84% | 18% |
| Frost | 14 mi | 79% | under 1% |
| Tehuacana | 15 mi | 27% | 5% |
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