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Hale Center, Texas
Inside Hale Center's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 97% of mapped land, the highest of 4 cities in Hale County. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%, the 2nd-highest of 4 cities in Hale County.
That clay share is above Hale County's 83%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79041 overlapping the city. Of its 877 homes, 75% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1966.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Hale 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 Hale Center
Foundation repair in Hale Center: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 97% of Hale Center's mapped land, more than in 99% of Texas cities.
About 800 of Hale Center's 877 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 Hale Center city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 97.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 94.5% |
| Mapped soil | 919 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.3% by land area here, and 94% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 97% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 37.3% of Hale County is in drought on the latest map, and 97% of Hale Center's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Hale County
37.3% of Hale 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 Hale Center. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79041 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Hale Center
| Housing units | 877 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $76,200 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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