HomeTexasFreestone CountyFairfield
Fairfield, Texas
Inside Fairfield's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 58% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 4 cities in Freestone County. A shallow water table limits basements on 29%, the highest of 4 cities in Freestone County.
That clay share is above Freestone County's 37%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75840 overlapping the city. Of its 1,385 homes, 59% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1976.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Freestone 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 Fairfield
Foundation repair in Fairfield: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 58% of Fairfield's mapped land, more than in 64% of Texas cities.
About 1,000 of Fairfield's 1,385 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 Fairfield city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 57.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 58.3% |
| Mapped soil | 3,498 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 58% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 58% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Freestone County is in drought on the latest map, and 58% of Fairfield's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 29% of Fairfield's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Freestone County
100% of Freestone 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 Fairfield. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75840 | over 99% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Fairfield
| Housing units | 1,385 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $169,500 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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