Freer, Texas
Inside Freer's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Duval County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is close to Duval County's 4%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78357 overlapping the city. Of its 1,078 homes, 43% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1982.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Duval 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 Freer
Foundation repair in Freer: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 3% of Freer's mapped land.
About 900 of Freer's 1,078 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 Freer city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 28.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 2,639 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Houla | 42% | n/a |
| Lomart | 20% | n/a |
| Tela | 16% | n/a |
| Salco | 7% | n/a |
| Eloso | 6% | n/a |
| Mirasol | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Freer; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought in Duval County
100% of Duval 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 Freer. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78357 | 100% | 1 | $41,635 |
Homes in Freer
| Housing units | 1,078 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $95,500 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benavides | 23 mi | 10% | under 1% |
| San Diego | 25 mi | 36% | 2% |
| Alice | 35 mi | 49% | 14% |
| Orange Grove | 42 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| George West | 43 mi | 29% | 0% |
| Agua Dulce | 44 mi | 97% | 1% |
| Encinal | 46 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Lake City | 47 mi | 1% | 0% |
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