Hico, Texas
Inside Hico's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 39% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
That clay share is above Hamilton County's 31%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76457 overlapping the city. Of its 741 homes, 70% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Hamilton 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 Hico
Foundation repair in Hico: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 39% of Hico's mapped land.
About 600 of Hico's 741 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 Hico city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 38.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.0% |
| Mapped soil | 1,166 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Krum | 22% | n/a |
| Doss | 17% | n/a |
| Bosque | 11% | n/a |
| Windthorst | 11% | 37% |
| Real | 10% | n/a |
| Frio | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 39% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Hamilton County is in drought on the latest map, and 39% of Hico's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Hamilton County
100% of Hamilton 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 Hico. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76457 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Hico
| Housing units | 741 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $176,700 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iredell | 9 mi | 11% | 5% |
| Walnut Springs | 17 mi | 64% | 0% |
| Cranfills Gap | 19 mi | 48% | 0% |
| Stephenville | 19 mi | 36% | 15% |
| Dublin | 20 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| Hamilton | 20 mi | 50% | 0% |
| Meridian | 23 mi | 36% | 0% |
| Gustine | 24 mi | 19% | 5% |
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