Happy, Texas
Inside Happy's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Swisher County. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Swisher County.
That clay share is below Swisher County's 87%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79042 overlapping the city. Of its 300 homes, 80% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1955.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Swisher 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 Happy
Foundation repair in Happy: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 69% of Happy's mapped land, more than in 73% of Texas cities.
About 200 of Happy's 300 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 Happy city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 68.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 67.6% |
| Mapped soil | 676 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 68% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 69% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 88.8% of Swisher County is in drought on the latest map, and 69% of Happy's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Swisher County
88.8% of Swisher 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 Happy. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79042 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Happy
| Housing units | 300 |
| Median year built | 1955 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $91,800 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulia | 15 mi | 90% | 2% |
| Canyon | 18 mi | 19% | under 1% |
| Nazareth | 20 mi | 56% | 0% |
| Timbercreek Canyon | 22 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Lake Tanglewood | 22 mi | under 1% | 0% |
| Palisades | 22 mi | 1% | 0% |
| Kress | 27 mi | 99% | 6% |
| Hart | 29 mi | 91% | 1% |
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