Fort Bend County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 64% of Fort Bend County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 42%.
0.1% of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5,166 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 13% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2005.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, September 22, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Fort Bend County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 63.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.4% |
| Mapped soil | 567,027 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | 22% | 97% |
| Edna | 18% | n/a |
| Bernard | 13% | 43% |
| Brazoria | 11% | n/a |
| Pledger | 5% | n/a |
| Norwood | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX157 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.7% by land area here, and 65% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 64% of the mapped land.
On 42% of Fort Bend County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 39.24 in, 11.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.44 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the April 21, 2026 map.
| Category, September 22, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5,166 flood losses since 2016, $427.1 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3,977. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 96% slabs, 1% crawl spaces, 3% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 631 |
| 2017 | 3,977 |
| 2018 | 21 |
| 2019 | 245 |
| 2020 | 39 |
| 2021 | 77 |
| 2022 | 16 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 141 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.24 in (-11.20) |
| 2025 | 34.33 in (-16.11) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 70.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 19.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RICHMOND (4 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 305,633 |
| Median year built | 2005 |
| Built before 1980 | 13% |
| Built 2000 or later | 61% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $374,500 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Fort Bend County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcola | 80% | 23% | 739 |
| Beasley | 81% | 52% | 274 |
| Fairchilds | 87% | 59% | 374 |
| Fulshear | 17% | 27% | 10,121 |
| Kendleton | 74% | 57% | 213 |
| Meadows Place | 85% | 24% | 1,831 |
| Missouri City | 58% | 29% | 28,577 |
| Needville | 81% | 95% | 1,277 |
| Orchard | 37% | 69% | 131 |
| Pleak | 80% | 58% | 715 |
| Richmond | 58% | 22% | 5,063 |
| Rosenberg | 77% | 64% | 16,070 |
| Simonton | 41% | 2% | 318 |
| Stafford | 71% | 43% | 7,099 |
| Sugar Land | 58% | 12% | 39,946 |
| Thompsons | 42% | 23% | 125 |
| Weston Lakes | 32% | 6% | 1,583 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazoria County, TX | 32 mi | 64% | 44% |
| Harris County, TX | 32 mi | 25% | 53% |
| Wharton County, TX | 32 mi | 68% | 32% |
| Waller County, TX | 36 mi | 24% | 40% |
| Austin County, TX | 39 mi | 38% | 20% |
| Colorado County, TX | 45 mi | 37% | 24% |
| Matagorda County, TX | 54 mi | 62% | 28% |
| Montgomery County, TX | 56 mi | 15% | 65% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status