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La Grange, Texas
Inside La Grange's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 64% of mapped land, higher than 69% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
That clay share is close to Fayette County's 67%. FEMA's flood data list 70 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78945 overlapping the city. Of its 2,411 homes, 66% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Fayette 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 La Grange
Foundation repair in La Grange: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 64% of La Grange's mapped land, more than in 69% of Texas cities.
About 1,800 of La Grange's 2,411 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 La Grange city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 63.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 66.0% |
| Mapped soil | 2,653 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Straber | 19% | n/a |
| Smithville | 13% | n/a |
| Burlewash | 7% | n/a |
| Hallettsville | 6% | n/a |
| Lufkin | 5% | n/a |
| Burleson | 5% | 84% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.0% by land area here, and 66% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 64% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Fayette County is in drought on the latest map, and 64% of La Grange's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Fayette County
100% of Fayette 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 La Grange. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78945 | 100% | 70 | $6.4 million |
Homes in La Grange
| Housing units | 2,411 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 55% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $338,700 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellinger | 11 mi | 90% | 3% |
| Fayetteville | 12 mi | 77% | 12% |
| Round Top | 15 mi | 24% | 7% |
| Weimar | 16 mi | 68% | 2% |
| Schulenburg | 16 mi | 65% | 13% |
| Smithville | 18 mi | 20% | 5% |
| Giddings | 19 mi | 86% | 48% |
| Carmine | 20 mi | 96% | 6% |
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