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Jamaica Beach, Texas
Inside Jamaica Beach's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 75%, the 5th-highest of 13 cities in Galveston County.
That clay share is below Galveston County's 23%. FEMA's flood data list 346 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77554 overlapping the city. Of its 1,452 homes, 52% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1979.
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 Jamaica Beach
Foundation repair in Jamaica Beach: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on under 1% of Jamaica Beach's mapped land.
About 1,400 of Jamaica Beach's 1,452 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 Jamaica Beach city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 23.0% |
| Mapped soil | 451 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Galveston | 26% | n/a |
| Mustang | 23% | n/a |
| Drumbay | 3% | n/a |
| Sanluis | 2% | n/a |
| Nass | 1% | n/a |
| Brazosport | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Jamaica Beach's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 77% 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 Jamaica Beach. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77554 | 100% | 346 | $2.3 million |
Homes in Jamaica Beach
| Housing units | 1,452 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 97% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $333,500 |
| Single-family detached | 99% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galveston | 1 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Hitchcock | 7 mi | 40% | 94% |
| Tiki Island | 8 mi | 5% | 68% |
| Bayou Vista | 10 mi | 35% | 68% |
| La Marque | 12 mi | 61% | 64% |
| Santa Fe | 15 mi | 6% | 92% |
| Texas City | 17 mi | 16% | 32% |
| Dickinson | 19 mi | 66% | 74% |
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