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Gallatin, Texas

Inside Gallatin's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 7 cities in Cherokee County. A shallow water table limits basements on 46%, the highest of 7 cities in Cherokee County.

That clay share is below Cherokee County's 14%. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 142 homes, 61% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1973.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cherokee County

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

46%

high water table: limits basements

28

flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs

61%

of homes built before 1980

Foundation repair in Gallatin

Foundation repair in Gallatin: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 4% of Gallatin's mapped land.

About 100 of Gallatin's 142 homes are detached houses.

Who designs the repairThe ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines)
PricesCost guide ranges compared

Soil under Gallatin city limits

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.4%
High water table (limits basements)46.1%
Septic fields very limited81.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.0%
Mapped soil2,945 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Bowie20%0%
Iulus12%n/a
Lilbert9%0%
Cuthbert8%0%
Nacogdoches8%0%
Elrose8%n/a
Cherokee CountyGallatin
Gallatin city limits inside Cherokee County, shaded by the city's expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count

What the numbers mean here

On 46% of Gallatin's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

USDA rates 81% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought in Cherokee County

98.2% of Cherokee County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026

Flood losses by ZIP code

FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Gallatin. ZIP areas reach past city limits.

ZIPShare of city landFlood lossesPaid
7578545%1$36,816
7576628%27$221,840
7576427%0$0

Homes in Gallatin

Housing units142
Median year built1973
Built before 198061%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$168,100
Single-family detached65%

Nearby cities

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
New Summerfield 6 mi 10% 25%
Rusk 7 mi 1% 15%
Jacksonville 8 mi under 1% 20%
Reklaw 10 mi 5% 50%
Troup 17 mi 2% 56%
Alto 18 mi under 1% 33%
Cuney 18 mi 0% 10%
Cushing 19 mi 10% 26%

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