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Hempstead, Texas
Inside Hempstead's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49% of mapped land, the highest of 7 cities in Waller County. A shallow water table limits basements on 39%, the 3rd-highest of 7 cities in Waller County.
That clay share is above Waller County's 24%. FEMA's flood data list 43 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77445 overlapping the city. Of its 2,088 homes, 29% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1987.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Waller 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 Hempstead
Foundation repair in Hempstead: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 49% of Hempstead's mapped land, more than in 56% of Texas cities.
About 900 of Hempstead's 2,088 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 Hempstead city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 49.3% |
| Mapped soil | 4,659 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rader | 19% | 30% |
| Chazos | 15% | n/a |
| Tabor | 14% | n/a |
| Kenney | 14% | n/a |
| Styx | 8% | n/a |
| Nahatche | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 49% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 18.5% of Waller County is in drought on the latest map, and 49% of Hempstead's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 39% of Hempstead's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Waller County
18.5% of Waller 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 Hempstead. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77445 | 100% | 43 | $1.9 million |
Homes in Hempstead
| Housing units | 2,088 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 39% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,700 |
| Single-family detached | 42% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Island | 4 mi | 13% | 30% |
| Prairie View | 5 mi | 2% | 47% |
| Waller | 9 mi | 2% | 59% |
| Bellville | 15 mi | 45% | 26% |
| Todd Mission | 18 mi | 0% | 94% |
| Brenham | 19 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Navasota | 20 mi | 80% | 8% |
| Pattison | 20 mi | 17% | 26% |
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