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Hallettsville, Texas
Inside Hallettsville's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 77% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 4 cities in Lavaca County. A shallow water table limits basements on 35%, the highest of 4 cities in Lavaca County.
That clay share is above Lavaca County's 48%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77964 overlapping the city. Of its 1,363 homes, 68% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Lavaca 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 Hallettsville
Foundation repair in Hallettsville: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 77% of Hallettsville's mapped land, more than in 82% of Texas cities.
About 1,000 of Hallettsville's 1,363 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 Hallettsville city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 77.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 77.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,754 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Straber | 26% | n/a |
| Hallettsville | 22% | n/a |
| Dubina | 21% | n/a |
| Navaca | 5% | n/a |
| Carbengle | 5% | n/a |
| Tremona | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% by land area here, and 77% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 77% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Lavaca County is in drought on the latest map, and 77% of Hallettsville's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 35% of Hallettsville's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Lavaca County
100% of Lavaca 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 Hallettsville. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77964 | 100% | 3 | $0 |
Homes in Hallettsville
| Housing units | 1,363 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,000 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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