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Galveston, Texas
Inside Galveston's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 91%, the 4th-highest of 13 cities in Galveston County.
That clay share is below Galveston County's 23%. FEMA's flood data list 1,493 flood losses since 2016 in the 4 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 35,776 homes, 61% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1973.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Galveston County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 4 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Galveston
Foundation repair in Galveston: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 1% of Galveston's mapped land.
About 20,100 of Galveston's 35,776 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 Galveston city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 90.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 46.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 6.8% |
| Mapped soil | 51,513 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Galveston | 20% | n/a |
| Maggies | 12% | n/a |
| Bastropbay | 5% | n/a |
| Basford | 4% | n/a |
| Hoeckers | 4% | n/a |
| Brazosport | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 91% of Galveston's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Galveston County
100% of Galveston 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 Galveston. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77554 | 72% | 346 | $2.3 million |
| 77550 | 18% | 619 | $12.2 million |
| 77551 | 10% | 524 | $8.3 million |
| 77555 | under 1% | 4 | $12,890 |
Homes in Galveston
| Housing units | 35,776 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 46% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $326,000 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica Beach | 1 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Hitchcock | 7 mi | 40% | 94% |
| Tiki Island | 8 mi | 5% | 68% |
| Bayou Vista | 10 mi | 35% | 68% |
| La Marque | 13 mi | 61% | 64% |
| Santa Fe | 16 mi | 6% | 92% |
| Texas City | 17 mi | 16% | 32% |
| Dickinson | 19 mi | 66% | 74% |
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