HomeTexasJefferson County

Jefferson County, Texas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 56% of Jefferson County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 66%.

0.7% of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10,724 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources

56%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

66%

high water table: limits basements

1%

in drought, September 22, 2026

54%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Jefferson County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)55.9%
High water table (limits basements)66.3%
Septic fields very limited77.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)9.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)58.3%
Urban land, not rated8.8%
Mapped soil635,053 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
League13%92%
Beaumont9%n/a
Labelle8%n/a
Levac5%n/a
Meaton4%n/a
Leerco3%n/a
Orange County: 26%Chambers County: 63%Hardin County: 12%Liberty County: 46%Calcasieu Parish: 18%Cameron Parish: 38%Galveston County: 23%Jasper County: 15%Jefferson County OrangeChambersHardinLibertyCalcasieuCameronGalvestonJasperJefferson
Jefferson County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas TX623 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.0% by land area here, and 58% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 56% of the mapped land.

On 66% of Jefferson County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 47.86 in, 12.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 60.06 in.

USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.

September 30, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklySeptember 22, 2026
Category, September 22, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse74.8%
D1 moderate drought or worse0.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

10,724 flood losses since 2016, $1.01 billion paid. The worst year was 2017, with 7,338. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 90% slabs, 2% crawl spaces, 8% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.

YearFlood losses
201646
20177,338
2018148
20192,771
2020110
2021131
202239
20238
202446
20259
2026 to date78

Rain

Average year, 1991-202060.06 in
12 months to August 202647.86 in (-12.20)
202547.84 in (-12.22)
Wettest year since 18952017: 95.03 in
Driest year since 18951917: 27.73 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PORT ARTHUR SE TX AP (10 mi away)18.5

Homes

Housing units109,884
Median year built1978
Built before 198054%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied63%
Median value, owner-occupied$169,500
Single-family detached71%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Cities in Jefferson County

CityExpansive clayHigh water tableHomes
Beaumont28%28%52,439
Bevil Oaks25%80%533
China50%51%563
Groves1%1%6,796
Nederlandunder 1%under 1%8,118
Nome47%51%159
Port Arthur31%41%25,631
Port Neches29%28%6,262
Taylor Landing30%55%104

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Orange County, TX 24 mi 26% 65%
Chambers County, TX 33 mi 63% 68%
Hardin County, TX 36 mi 12% 67%
Liberty County, TX 48 mi 46% 76%
Calcasieu Parish, LA 54 mi 18% 84%
Cameron Parish, LA 59 mi 38% 72%
Galveston County, TX 62 mi 23% 61%
Jasper County, TX 63 mi 15% 43%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status