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La Ward, Texas
Inside La Ward's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 65% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Jackson County. A shallow water table limits basements on 26%, the 2nd-highest of 3 cities in Jackson County.
That clay share is close to Jackson County's 67%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77970 overlapping the city. Of its 118 homes, 6% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1989.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Jackson 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 Ward
Foundation repair in La Ward: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 65% of La Ward's mapped land, more than in 70% of Texas cities.
| 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 Ward city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 65.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 26.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.0% |
| Mapped soil | 519 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Texana | 65% | n/a |
| Cieno | 25% | n/a |
| Midfield | 5% | n/a |
| Tidehaven | 2% | n/a |
| Dacosta | 1% | n/a |
| Fordtran | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 65% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 65% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Jackson County is in drought on the latest map, and 65% of La Ward's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 26% of La Ward's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Jackson County
100% of Jackson 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 Ward. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77970 | 100% | 1 | $85,026 |
Homes in La Ward
| Housing units | 118 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 6% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 29% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $90,000 |
| Single-family detached | 33% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Comfort | 13 mi | 89% | 13% |
| Ganado | 14 mi | 89% | 4% |
| Edna | 14 mi | 85% | 40% |
| Palacios | 17 mi | 77% | 69% |
| Port Lavaca | 19 mi | 65% | 8% |
| El Campo | 27 mi | 86% | 32% |
| Bloomington | 30 mi | 79% | 12% |
| Victoria | 32 mi | 62% | 20% |
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