Lavaca County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 48% of Lavaca County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 37%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Lavaca County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 47.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 36.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 48.1% |
| Mapped soil | 621,536 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Straber | 13% | n/a |
| Tremona | 12% | n/a |
| Carbengle | 9% | n/a |
| Frelsburg | 7% | 93% |
| Dubina | 5% | n/a |
| Hallettsville | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX285 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.4% by land area here, and 48% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 48% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 48% of Lavaca County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 37% of Lavaca County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 31.45 in, 8.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.06 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 39 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 96.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.06 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.45 in (-8.61) |
| 2025 | 28.04 in (-12.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 62.01 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 17.15 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HALLETTSVILLE 2 N (6 mi away) | 12.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,518 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $228,300 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Lavaca County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallettsville | 77% | 35% | 1,363 |
| Moulton | 30% | 2% | 471 |
| Shiner | 37% | 11% | 969 |
| Yoakum | 86% | 2% | 2,659 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado County, TX | 29 mi | 37% | 24% |
| DeWitt County, TX | 34 mi | 27% | 17% |
| Gonzales County, TX | 35 mi | 55% | 5% |
| Fayette County, TX | 35 mi | 67% | 14% |
| Jackson County, TX | 35 mi | 67% | 24% |
| Victoria County, TX | 41 mi | 65% | 35% |
| Wharton County, TX | 42 mi | 68% | 32% |
| Caldwell County, TX | 53 mi | 59% | 6% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status