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Lake Jackson, Texas
Inside Lake Jackson's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 67% of mapped land, higher than 72% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
That clay share is close to Brazoria County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 1,592 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 11,532 homes, 44% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1983.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Brazoria 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 Lake Jackson
Foundation repair in Lake Jackson: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 67% of Lake Jackson's mapped land, more than in 72% of Texas cities.
About 7,700 of Lake Jackson's 11,532 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 Lake Jackson city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 67.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 14.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 14.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 67.1% |
| Mapped soil | 13,592 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pledger | 41% | n/a |
| Brazoria | 20% | n/a |
| Asa | 7% | 0% |
| Lake Charles | 6% | 97% |
| Norwood | 6% | n/a |
| Bernard | 5% | 43% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 14.6% by land area here, and 67% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 67% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Brazoria County is in drought on the latest map, and 67% of Lake Jackson's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Brazoria County
100% of Brazoria 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 Lake Jackson. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77566 | 75% | 427 | $42.8 million |
| 77515 | 22% | 1,165 | $87.5 million |
Homes in Lake Jackson
| Housing units | 11,532 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $250,100 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richwood | 3 mi | 78% | 6% |
| Clute | 4 mi | 47% | 28% |
| Jones Creek | 5 mi | 5% | 1% |
| Brazoria | 7 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| Bailey's Prairie | 7 mi | 57% | 13% |
| Oyster Creek | 8 mi | 48% | 27% |
| Angleton | 8 mi | 64% | 65% |
| Freeport | 9 mi | 49% | 75% |
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