Emory, Texas
Inside Emory's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 41% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Rains County. A shallow water table limits basements on 27%, the highest of 3 cities in Rains County.
That clay share is below Rains County's 60%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75440 overlapping the city. Of its 479 homes, 47% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1982.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Rains 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 Emory
Foundation repair in Emory: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 41% of Emory's mapped land.
About 300 of Emory's 479 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 Emory city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 40.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 26.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 44.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,265 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 41% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Rains County is in drought on the latest map, and 41% of Emory's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 27% of Emory's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Rains County
100% of Rains 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 Emory. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75440 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Emory
| Housing units | 479 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 48% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $218,100 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point | 7 mi | 88% | 1% |
| Alba | 10 mi | 54% | 67% |
| East Tawakoni | 10 mi | 83% | 2% |
| Yantis | 11 mi | 75% | 65% |
| Lone Oak | 13 mi | 87% | 14% |
| Fruitvale | 13 mi | 62% | 53% |
| Grand Saline | 14 mi | 58% | 36% |
| Edgewood | 15 mi | 75% | 71% |
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