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Escobares, Texas
Inside Escobares' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19% of mapped land, the highest of 4 cities in Starr County. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%, the 2nd-highest of 4 cities in Starr County.
That clay share is above Starr County's 14%. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78584 overlapping the city. Of its 912 homes, 27% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1989.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Starr 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 Escobares
Foundation repair in Escobares: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 19% of Escobares' mapped land.
About 800 of Escobares' 912 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 Escobares city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,746 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande | 22% | n/a |
| Copita | 16% | n/a |
| Matamoros | 13% | n/a |
| Reynosa | 11% | n/a |
| Lagloria | 7% | n/a |
| Jimenez | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 19% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Starr County is in drought on the latest map, and 19% of Escobares' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 67% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Starr County
100% of Starr 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 Escobares. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78584 | over 99% | 6 | $314,675 |
Homes in Escobares
| Housing units | 912 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 34% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $72,800 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roma | 3 mi | 11% | 0% |
| Rio Grande City | 9 mi | 7% | 1% |
| La Grulla | 22 mi | 11% | 4% |
| Sullivan City | 26 mi | 3% | 4% |
| La Joya | 32 mi | 2% | 3% |
| Penitas | 34 mi | 5% | 3% |
| Palmview | 38 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Alton | 41 mi | under 1% | 1% |
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