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Hilshire Village, Texas
Inside Hilshire Village's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 56%.
That clay share is close to Harris County's 25%. USDA doesn't rate the 37% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 204 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77055 overlapping the city. Of its 388 homes, 44% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1983.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Harris 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 Hilshire Village
Foundation repair in Hilshire Village: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 27% of Hilshire Village's mapped land.
About 400 of Hilshire Village's 388 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 Hilshire Village city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 56.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 36.6% |
| Mapped soil | 170 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Aldine | 27% | n/a |
| Clodine | 14% | n/a |
| Gessner | 11% | n/a |
| Katy | 3% | 0% |
| Addicks | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 82.9% of Harris County is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Hilshire Village's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 56% of Hilshire Village's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Harris County
82.9% of Harris 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 Hilshire Village. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77055 | 100% | 204 | $5.6 million |
Homes in Hilshire Village
| Housing units | 388 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 96% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $1.1 million |
| Single-family detached | 100% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley Village | 1 mi | 0% | 56% |
| Hunters Creek Village | 1 mi | 24% | 49% |
| Hedwig Village | 2 mi | 0% | 55% |
| Piney Point Village | 3 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Bunker Hill Village | 3 mi | 9% | 54% |
| Houston | 6 mi | 29% | 48% |
| Bellaire | 6 mi | 56% | 28% |
| West University Place | 6 mi | 56% | 48% |
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