Kyle, Texas
Inside Kyle's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 51% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 11 cities in Hays County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Hays County's 14%. FEMA's flood data list 31 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 21,218 homes, 4% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2010.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Hays County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Kyle
Foundation repair in Kyle: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 51% of Kyle's mapped land, more than in 58% of Texas cities.
The city requires a permit for the work.
About 16,000 of Kyle's 21,218 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Kyle's permit FAQ says foundation repair needs a permit, applied for by the foundation company doing the work. (City of Kyle, Texas, read October 2, 2026) |
| Engineer | Kyle says foundation repairs must submit an engineered design because of expansive soils. (City of Kyle, Texas) |
| Contractor registration | Kyle says the foundation company doing the work must be registered with the city. (City of Kyle, Texas) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Kyle city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 50.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 52.8% |
| Mapped soil | 20,987 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Heiden | 14% | 80% |
| Houston Black | 13% | 91% |
| Real | 8% | n/a |
| Branyon | 8% | 92% |
| Krum | 6% | n/a |
| Austin | 6% | 93% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.3% by land area here, and 53% 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 Hays County is in drought on the latest map, and 51% of Kyle's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Hays County
100% of Hays 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 Kyle. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78640 | 71% | 1 | $0 |
| 78666 | 26% | 30 | $779,955 |
Homes in Kyle
| Housing units | 21,218 |
| Median year built | 2010 |
| Built before 1980 | 4% |
| Built 2000 or later | 87% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $334,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain City | 3 mi | 17% | 0% |
| Buda | 6 mi | 61% | under 1% |
| Uhland | 6 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| Niederwald | 6 mi | 84% | 1% |
| Hays | 9 mi | 25% | 0% |
| San Marcos | 9 mi | 56% | under 1% |
| Creedmoor | 10 mi | 85% | under 1% |
| Martindale | 11 mi | 70% | under 1% |
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