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Edinburg, Texas
Inside Edinburg's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
That clay share is below Hidalgo County's 12%. FEMA's flood data list 239 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 39,242 homes, 17% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2003.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources · in Hidalgo County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Edinburg city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 6.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.0% |
| Mapped soil | 30,254 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo | 63% | 0% |
| Raymondville | 8% | n/a |
| Brennan | 7% | n/a |
| Willacy | 4% | n/a |
| Racombes | 4% | n/a |
| Hebbronville | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Edinburg; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought in Hidalgo County
100% of Hidalgo County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Edinburg. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78542 | 40% | 52 | $1.4 million |
| 78541 | 33% | 69 | $1.8 million |
| 78539 | 27% | 118 | $3.1 million |
Homes in Edinburg
| Housing units | 39,242 |
| Median year built | 2003 |
| Built before 1980 | 17% |
| Built 2000 or later | 59% |
| Owner-occupied | 53% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $189,600 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen | 9 mi | 18% | 2% |
| San Juan | 9 mi | 32% | 1% |
| Palmhurst | 10 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Alamo | 10 mi | 11% | 0% |
| Alton | 10 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Elsa | 10 mi | 18% | 2% |
| Pharr | 11 mi | 46% | 2% |
| Edcouch | 12 mi | 20% | under 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status