Ennis, Texas
Inside Ennis' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 86% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 15 cities in Ellis County. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%, the 2nd-highest of 15 cities in Ellis County.
That clay share is above Ellis County's 72%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75119 overlapping the city. Of its 8,646 homes, 37% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1990.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ellis 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 Ennis
Foundation repair in Ennis: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 86% of Ennis' mapped land, more than in 95% of Texas cities.
About 6,500 of Ennis' 8,646 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 Ennis city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 86.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 86.4% |
| Mapped soil | 21,240 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.8% by land area here, and 86% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 86% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Ellis County is in drought on the latest map, and 86% of Ennis' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Ellis County
100% of Ellis 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 Ennis. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75119 | 89% | 1 | $8,775 |
Homes in Ennis
| Housing units | 8,646 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $260,100 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
Nearby cities
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