HomeTexasComal CountyGarden Ridge
Garden Ridge, Texas
Inside Garden Ridge's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 5 cities in Comal County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is close to Comal County's 19%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78266 overlapping the city. Of its 1,537 homes, 16% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2001.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Comal 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 Garden Ridge
Foundation repair in Garden Ridge: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 21% of Garden Ridge's mapped land.
About 1,500 of Garden Ridge's 1,537 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 Garden Ridge city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.2% |
| Mapped soil | 4,707 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 82.6% of Comal County is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Garden Ridge's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Comal County
82.6% of Comal 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 Garden Ridge. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78266 | 93% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Garden Ridge
| Housing units | 1,537 |
| Median year built | 2001 |
| Built before 1980 | 16% |
| Built 2000 or later | 55% |
| Owner-occupied | 96% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $688,200 |
| Single-family detached | 100% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selma | 4 mi | 60% | 0% |
| Schertz | 6 mi | 63% | under 1% |
| Universal City | 6 mi | 63% | 0% |
| Live Oak | 6 mi | 46% | 0% |
| Cibolo | 7 mi | 78% | under 1% |
| Santa Clara | 8 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| Converse | 9 mi | 85% | 0% |
| Windcrest | 10 mi | 81% | 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