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Liberty, Texas
Inside Liberty's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 51% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 11 cities in Liberty County. A shallow water table limits basements on 69%, the 5th-highest of 11 cities in Liberty County.
That clay share is above Liberty County's 46%. FEMA's flood data list 788 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 3,414 homes, 71% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1975.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Liberty 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 Liberty
Foundation repair in Liberty: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 51% of Liberty's mapped land, more than in 58% of Texas cities.
About 2,200 of Liberty's 3,414 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 Liberty city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 50.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 69.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 53.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.4% |
| Mapped soil | 29,289 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Kaman | 35% | n/a |
| Cowmarsh | 7% | n/a |
| Texla | 5% | n/a |
| Belrose | 5% | n/a |
| Voss | 4% | n/a |
| Kenefick | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.1% by land area here, and 54% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 51% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 61.2% of Liberty County is in drought on the latest map, and 51% of Liberty's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 69% of Liberty'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 Liberty County
61.2% of Liberty 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 Liberty. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77575 | 80% | 375 | $24.6 million |
| 77535 | 20% | 413 | $26.3 million |
Homes in Liberty
| Housing units | 3,414 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,300 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ames | 3 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Kenefick | 5 mi | 53% | 48% |
| Dayton Lakes | 7 mi | 27% | 86% |
| Hardin | 8 mi | 37% | 55% |
| Dayton | 9 mi | 59% | 56% |
| Daisetta | 10 mi | 43% | 56% |
| Old River-Winfree | 12 mi | 63% | 39% |
| Devers | 12 mi | 13% | 86% |
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