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Lorena, Texas
Inside Lorena's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 52% of mapped land, higher than 59% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is close to McLennan County's 56%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76655 overlapping the city. Of its 642 homes, 41% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1983.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in McLennan 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 Lorena
Foundation repair in Lorena: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 52% of Lorena's mapped land, more than in 59% of Texas cities.
About 500 of Lorena's 642 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 Lorena city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 52.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.2% |
| Mapped soil | 2,470 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 25% | 93% |
| Stephen | 24% | n/a |
| Fairlie | 20% | 70% |
| Eddy | 12% | 0% |
| Houston Black | 5% | 91% |
| Ovan | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 52% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of McLennan County is in drought on the latest map, and 52% of Lorena's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in McLennan County
100% of McLennan 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 Lorena. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76655 | 99% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Lorena
| Housing units | 642 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $281,000 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hewitt | 5 mi | 61% | under 1% |
| Bruceville-Eddy | 6 mi | 38% | 0% |
| Robinson | 7 mi | 73% | 1% |
| Woodway | 8 mi | 25% | 0% |
| Golinda | 8 mi | 65% | 4% |
| Beverly Hills | 10 mi | 53% | 1% |
| Moody | 10 mi | 81% | 0% |
| Waco | 12 mi | 38% | under 1% |
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