HomeTexasBell CountyHarker Heights
Harker Heights, Texas
Inside Harker Heights' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 44% of mapped land, higher than 52% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is below Bell County's 55%. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 13,168 homes, 21% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2001.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Bell County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Harker Heights
Foundation repair in Harker Heights: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 44% of Harker Heights' mapped land, more than in 52% of Texas cities.
About 8,800 of Harker Heights' 13,168 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 Harker Heights city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 44.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 50.2% |
| Mapped soil | 10,032 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.8% by land area here, and 50% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 44% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Bell County is in drought on the latest map, and 44% of Harker Heights' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Bell County
100% of Bell 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 Harker Heights. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76548 | 84% | 7 | $46,123 |
| 76513 | 16% | 21 | $421,897 |
Homes in Harker Heights
| Housing units | 13,168 |
| Median year built | 2001 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 53% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $287,800 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nolanville | 3 mi | 64% | under 1% |
| Killeen | 5 mi | 47% | under 1% |
| Belton | 10 mi | 46% | under 1% |
| Salado | 10 mi | 46% | under 1% |
| Morgan's Point Resort | 13 mi | 5% | 0% |
| Temple | 15 mi | 51% | under 1% |
| Copperas Cove | 17 mi | 25% | 0% |
| Jarrell | 17 mi | 49% | 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