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Kountze, Texas
Inside Kountze's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 47%, the 3rd-highest of 5 cities in Hardin County.
That clay share is below Hardin County's 12%. FEMA's flood data list 46 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77625 overlapping the city. Of its 967 homes, 33% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1995.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Hardin 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 Kountze
Foundation repair in Kountze: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 0% of Kountze's mapped land.
About 500 of Kountze's 967 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 Kountze city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.2% |
| Mapped soil | 2,544 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Otanya | 37% | n/a |
| Sorter | 15% | n/a |
| Kirbyville | 14% | n/a |
| Dallardsville | 10% | n/a |
| Olive | 5% | n/a |
| Hatliff | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 47% of Kountze's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Hardin County
26.6% of Hardin 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 Kountze. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77625 | 100% | 46 | $3.0 million |
Homes in Kountze
| Housing units | 967 |
| Median year built | 1995 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 34% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $127,300 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silsbee | 9 mi | 1% | 43% |
| Lumberton | 10 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Rose Hill Acres | 14 mi | 82% | 16% |
| Bevil Oaks | 16 mi | 25% | 80% |
| Sour Lake | 17 mi | 67% | 58% |
| Pine Forest | 22 mi | 41% | 55% |
| Ivanhoe | 22 mi | 2% | 13% |
| China | 22 mi | 50% | 51% |
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