Kemp, Texas
Inside Kemp's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 84% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 15 cities in Kaufman County. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
That clay share is above Kaufman County's 73%. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75143 overlapping the city. Of its 466 homes, 57% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1977.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Kaufman 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 Kemp
Foundation repair in Kemp: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 84% of Kemp's mapped land, more than in 91% of Texas cities.
About 400 of Kemp's 466 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 Kemp city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 84.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 84.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,445 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 21% | 88% |
| Houston Black | 14% | 91% |
| Burleson | 13% | 84% |
| Mabank | 12% | n/a |
| Ferris | 10% | n/a |
| Heiden | 10% | 80% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.4% by land area here, and 84% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 84% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Kaufman County is in drought on the latest map, and 84% of Kemp's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Kaufman County
100% of Kaufman 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 Kemp. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75143 | 100% | 4 | $51,367 |
Homes in Kemp
| Housing units | 466 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $168,100 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grays Prairie | 8 mi | 74% | 21% |
| Seven Points | 8 mi | 71% | 47% |
| Mabank | 8 mi | 73% | 13% |
| Oak Grove | 9 mi | 85% | 1% |
| Gun Barrel City | 9 mi | 69% | 22% |
| Cottonwood | 10 mi | 52% | 28% |
| Scurry | 11 mi | 78% | 10% |
| Kaufman | 11 mi | 79% | 10% |
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