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La Porte, Texas
Inside La Porte's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 74% of mapped land, the highest of 27 cities in Harris County. A shallow water table limits basements on 39%.
That clay share is above Harris County's 25%. FEMA's flood data list 636 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77571 overlapping the city. Of its 13,791 homes, 43% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1983.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Harris 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 Porte
Foundation repair in La Porte: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 74% of La Porte's mapped land, more than in 79% of Texas cities.
About 10,200 of La Porte's 13,791 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 Porte city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 74.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 74.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 6.7% |
| Mapped soil | 12,722 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | 38% | 97% |
| Bernard | 16% | 43% |
| Beaumont | 14% | n/a |
| Edna | 5% | n/a |
| Ijam | 3% | n/a |
| Verland | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.4% by land area here, and 74% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 74% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 82.9% of Harris County is in drought on the latest map, and 74% of La Porte's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 39% of La Porte's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Harris County
82.9% of Harris 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 Porte. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77571 | 99% | 636 | $29.5 million |
Homes in La Porte
| Housing units | 13,791 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $234,600 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan's Point | 3 mi | 36% | 23% |
| Shoreacres | 4 mi | 68% | 39% |
| Deer Park | 4 mi | 58% | 74% |
| Seabrook | 6 mi | 13% | 15% |
| Pasadena | 6 mi | 53% | 37% |
| Taylor Lake Village | 6 mi | 41% | 41% |
| El Lago | 7 mi | 47% | 41% |
| Clear Lake Shores | 9 mi | 16% | 57% |
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