Groom, Texas
Inside Groom's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 93% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 4 cities in Carson County. A shallow water table limits basements on 29%, the highest of 4 cities in Carson County.
That clay share is above Carson County's 55%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79039 overlapping the city. Of its 255 homes, 75% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1965.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Carson 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 Groom
Foundation repair in Groom: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 93% of Groom's mapped land, more than in 98% of Texas cities.
About 200 of Groom's 255 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 Groom city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 92.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 28.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 91.8% |
| Mapped soil | 476 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.4% by land area here, and 92% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 93% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Carson County is in drought on the latest map, and 93% of Groom's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 29% of Groom's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Carson County
100% of Carson 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 Groom. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79039 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Groom
| Housing units | 255 |
| Median year built | 1965 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $93,900 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Deer | 16 mi | 99% | 2% |
| Claude | 16 mi | 99% | 1% |
| Howardwick | 16 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Panhandle | 18 mi | over 99% | 8% |
| Clarendon | 22 mi | 5% | 3% |
| Lefors | 23 mi | 0% | under 1% |
| Pampa | 25 mi | 68% | under 1% |
| Skellytown | 25 mi | 45% | 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