Leary, Texas
Inside Leary's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 10 cities in Bowie County. A shallow water table limits basements on 79%, the 4th-highest of 10 cities in Bowie County.
That clay share is below Bowie County's 32%. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75561 overlapping the city. Of its 246 homes, 39% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Bowie 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 Leary
Foundation repair in Leary: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 15% of Leary's mapped land.
About 100 of Leary's 246 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 Leary city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.2% |
| Mapped soil | 811 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Eylau | 36% | n/a |
| Sawyer | 33% | n/a |
| Annona | 12% | n/a |
| Adaton | 4% | n/a |
| Blevins | 4% | n/a |
| Sardis | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 79% of Leary's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Bowie County
100% of Bowie 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 Leary. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75561 | 90% | 6 | $94,935 |
Homes in Leary
| Housing units | 246 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,800 |
| Single-family detached | 47% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lick | 3 mi | 7% | 45% |
| Hooks | 4 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Nash | 5 mi | 9% | 88% |
| Wake Village | 6 mi | 17% | 80% |
| Texarkana | 7 mi | 9% | 66% |
| Redwater | 8 mi | 5% | 49% |
| New Boston | 12 mi | 36% | 74% |
| Maud | 12 mi | 8% | 71% |
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