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Gonzales, Texas
Inside Gonzales' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 52% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 4 cities in Gonzales County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is close to Gonzales County's 55%. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78629 overlapping the city. Of its 3,248 homes, 67% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Gonzales 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 Gonzales
Foundation repair in Gonzales: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 52% of Gonzales' mapped land, more than in 59% of Texas cities.
About 2,200 of Gonzales' 3,248 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 Gonzales city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 52.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 52.0% |
| Mapped soil | 3,881 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Luckenbach | 21% | n/a |
| Edge | 12% | n/a |
| Luling | 11% | n/a |
| Crockett | 9% | 94% |
| Meguin | 8% | n/a |
| Benchley | 7% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.8% by land area here, and 52% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 52% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Gonzales County is in drought on the latest map, and 52% of Gonzales' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Gonzales County
100% of Gonzales 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 Gonzales. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78629 | 100% | 11 | $401,660 |
Homes in Gonzales
| Housing units | 3,248 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 51% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $208,500 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
Nearby cities
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