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Livingston, Texas
Inside Livingston's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 55% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 5 cities in Polk County. A shallow water table limits basements on 44%, the 5th-highest of 5 cities in Polk County.
That clay share is above Polk County's 23%. FEMA's flood data list 84 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77351 overlapping the city. Of its 2,944 homes, 56% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1976.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Polk 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 Livingston
Foundation repair in Livingston: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 55% of Livingston's mapped land, more than in 61% of Texas cities.
About 2,000 of Livingston's 2,944 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 Livingston city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 55.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 44.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 55.3% |
| Mapped soil | 5,639 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Woodville | 30% | n/a |
| Wiergate | 23% | n/a |
| Doucette | 6% | n/a |
| Hatliff | 6% | n/a |
| Pluck | 6% | n/a |
| Boykin | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.0% by land area here, and 55% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 55% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 2.1% of Polk County is in drought on the latest map, and 55% of Livingston's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 44% of Livingston's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Polk County
2.1% of Polk 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 Livingston. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77351 | 100% | 84 | $2.4 million |
Homes in Livingston
| Housing units | 2,944 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 50% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $200,100 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodrich | 7 mi | 71% | 54% |
| Seven Oaks | 11 mi | 8% | 83% |
| Onalaska | 13 mi | 15% | 46% |
| Coldspring | 14 mi | 2% | 5% |
| Shepherd | 16 mi | 7% | 50% |
| Point Blank | 17 mi | 63% | 67% |
| Corrigan | 21 mi | under 1% | 72% |
| Chester | 25 mi | 42% | 30% |
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