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Hitchcock, Texas
Inside Hitchcock's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 40% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 13 cities in Galveston County. A shallow water table limits basements on 94%, the highest of 13 cities in Galveston County.
That clay share is above Galveston County's 23%. FEMA's flood data list 768 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77563 overlapping the city. Of its 2,980 homes, 45% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Galveston 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 Hitchcock
Foundation repair in Hitchcock: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 40% of Hitchcock's mapped land.
About 2,200 of Hitchcock's 2,980 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 Hitchcock city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 39.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 52.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 40.8% |
| Mapped soil | 59,008 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Maggies | 15% | n/a |
| Narta | 10% | n/a |
| Amarada | 8% | n/a |
| Tracosa | 8% | n/a |
| Jonesbay | 6% | n/a |
| Bernard | 6% | 43% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 41% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 40% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Galveston County is in drought on the latest map, and 40% of Hitchcock's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 94% of Hitchcock's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 52% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Galveston County
100% of Galveston 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 Hitchcock. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77563 | 69% | 768 | $30.3 million |
Homes in Hitchcock
| Housing units | 2,980 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $188,300 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayou Vista | 5 mi | 35% | 68% |
| Tiki Island | 6 mi | 5% | 68% |
| La Marque | 6 mi | 61% | 64% |
| Jamaica Beach | 7 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Galveston | 7 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Santa Fe | 9 mi | 6% | 92% |
| Dickinson | 12 mi | 66% | 74% |
| Texas City | 12 mi | 16% | 32% |
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