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LaCoste, Texas
Inside LaCoste's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 76% of mapped land, the highest of 5 cities in Medina County. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%, the highest of 5 cities in Medina County.
That clay share is above Medina County's 33%. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78039 overlapping the city. Of its 553 homes, 29% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1993.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Medina 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 LaCoste
Foundation repair in LaCoste: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 76% of LaCoste's mapped land, more than in 80% of Texas cities.
About 300 of LaCoste's 553 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 LaCoste city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 76.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 76.3% |
| Mapped soil | 407 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Montell | 35% | n/a |
| Victoria | 18% | 99% |
| Knippa | 13% | n/a |
| Castroville | 7% | n/a |
| Monteola | 7% | n/a |
| Divot | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.2% by land area here, and 76% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 76% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 95.8% of Medina County is in drought on the latest map, and 76% of LaCoste's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Medina County
95.8% of Medina 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 LaCoste. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78039 | 100% | 5 | $94,965 |
Homes in LaCoste
| Housing units | 553 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $101,000 |
| Single-family detached | 54% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castroville | 4 mi | 60% | under 1% |
| Lytle | 5 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Natalia | 9 mi | 10% | under 1% |
| Von Ormy | 10 mi | 43% | 0% |
| Somerset | 11 mi | 10% | under 1% |
| Devine | 13 mi | 16% | under 1% |
| Leon Valley | 17 mi | 64% | 0% |
| Balcones Heights | 20 mi | 52% | 0% |
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