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Denton, Texas
Inside Denton's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49% of mapped land, higher than 56% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
That clay share is close to Denton County's 50%. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses since 2016 in the 7 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 60,531 homes, 27% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1997.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources · in Denton County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 7 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Denton
Foundation repair in Denton: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 49% of Denton's mapped land, more than in 56% of Texas cities.
The city requires a permit for the work.
About 34,000 of Denton's 60,531 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Denton requires a permit for every foundation repair. (City of Denton, Development Services, read October 2, 2026) |
| Engineer | The application needs a repair letter and plan signed and sealed by a Texas-registered engineer. (City of Denton, Development Services) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Denton city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 51.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 6.4% |
| Mapped soil | 62,966 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.3% by land area here, and 52% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 39.7% of Denton County is in drought on the latest map, and 49% of Denton's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Denton covers 97.0 square miles of land and counts 60,531 housing units, about 624 per square mile.
50% of Denton's occupied homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $348,200; 47% of all homes in the city date from 2000 or later.
The largest soil series under Denton is Sanger, on 12% of the mapped land, followed by Ponder at 10%.
USDA's soil survey maps 62,966 acres inside Denton's city limits.
Drought in Denton County
39.7% of Denton County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Denton. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76207 | 35% | 0 | $0 |
| 76208 | 16% | 2 | $19,855 |
| 76205 | 9% | 4 | $19,488 |
| 76210 | 8% | 2 | $17,110 |
| 76209 | 7% | 8 | $188,212 |
| 76201 | 6% | 14 | $437,701 |
| 76203 | 0% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Denton
| Housing units | 60,531 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 47% |
| Owner-occupied | 50% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $348,200 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krum | 6 mi | 77% | 0% |
| Shady Shores | 7 mi | 14% | 7% |
| Corinth | 7 mi | 12% | 3% |
| Argyle | 8 mi | 21% | 1% |
| Cross Roads | 8 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Copper Canyon | 9 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Bartonville | 9 mi | 4% | 2% |
| Lake Dallas | 9 mi | 18% | 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status