HomeTexasWillacy CountyLyford
Lyford, Texas
Inside Lyford's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 3 cities in Willacy County. A shallow water table limits basements on 11%, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Willacy County.
That clay share is below Willacy County's 18%. FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78569 overlapping the city. Of its 664 homes, 43% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1982.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Willacy 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 Lyford
Foundation repair in Lyford: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 6% of Lyford's mapped land.
About 600 of Lyford's 664 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 Lyford city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 8.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.2% |
| Mapped soil | 1,156 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Willacy | 48% | n/a |
| Racombes | 20% | n/a |
| Tiocano | 5% | n/a |
| Rio | 3% | n/a |
| Raymondville | 2% | n/a |
| Lyford | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lyford; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought in Willacy County
100% of Willacy 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 Lyford. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78569 | 99% | 32 | $1.2 million |
Homes in Lyford
| Housing units | 664 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $59,400 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymondville | 4 mi | 23% | 11% |
| San Perlita | 11 mi | 3% | 24% |
| Santa Rosa | 11 mi | 50% | 2% |
| La Villa | 12 mi | 24% | 2% |
| Combes | 12 mi | 26% | 2% |
| Primera | 13 mi | 18% | 3% |
| Edcouch | 14 mi | 20% | under 1% |
| Palm Valley | 15 mi | 18% | 4% |
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