HomeTexasBrazoria CountyFreeport
Freeport, Texas
Inside Freeport's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49% of mapped land, higher than 56% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 75%, the 3rd-highest of 24 cities in Brazoria County.
That clay share is below Brazoria County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 510 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77541 overlapping the city. Of its 5,078 homes, 69% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Brazoria 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 Freeport
Foundation repair in Freeport: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 49% of Freeport's mapped land, more than in 56% of Texas cities.
About 3,700 of Freeport's 5,078 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 Freeport city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 74.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 55.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.3% |
| Mapped soil | 11,326 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Surfside | 23% | n/a |
| Velasco | 16% | n/a |
| Veston | 7% | n/a |
| Ijam | 6% | n/a |
| Pledger | 6% | n/a |
| Brazoria | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.3% by land area here, and 55% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Brazoria County is in drought on the latest map, and 49% of Freeport's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 75% of Freeport's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Brazoria County
100% of Brazoria 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 Freeport. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77541 | 79% | 510 | $14.6 million |
Homes in Freeport
| Housing units | 5,078 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $135,900 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quintana | 2 mi | 3% | 30% |
| Oyster Creek | 4 mi | 48% | 27% |
| Surfside Beach | 4 mi | 13% | 93% |
| Clute | 6 mi | 47% | 28% |
| Jones Creek | 7 mi | 5% | 1% |
| Richwood | 9 mi | 78% | 6% |
| Lake Jackson | 9 mi | 67% | 15% |
| Brazoria | 14 mi | 28% | under 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