HomeTexasKarnes CountyKenedy
Kenedy, Texas
Inside Kenedy's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 51% of mapped land, the highest of 4 cities in Karnes County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is close to Karnes County's 52%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78119 overlapping the city. Of its 1,757 homes, 37% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1985.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Karnes 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 Kenedy
Foundation repair in Kenedy: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 51% of Kenedy's mapped land, more than in 58% of Texas cities.
About 1,200 of Kenedy's 1,757 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 Kenedy city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 51.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 55.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 51.3% |
| Mapped soil | 2,840 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pernitas | 30% | n/a |
| Coy | 24% | n/a |
| Buchel | 14% | n/a |
| Monteola | 10% | n/a |
| Schattel | 5% | n/a |
| Weesatche | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.0% by land area here, and 51% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 51% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Karnes County is in drought on the latest map, and 51% of Kenedy's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 56% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Karnes County
100% of Karnes 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 Kenedy. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78119 | 100% | 3 | $19,770 |
Homes in Kenedy
| Housing units | 1,757 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 40% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,300 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnes City | 6 mi | 46% | under 1% |
| Runge | 10 mi | 32% | under 1% |
| Falls City | 16 mi | 35% | 0% |
| Nordheim | 17 mi | 62% | under 1% |
| Poth | 23 mi | 51% | 1% |
| Yorktown | 24 mi | 24% | 7% |
| Beeville | 29 mi | 40% | 9% |
| Goliad | 30 mi | 29% | 4% |
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