Marfa, Texas
Inside Marfa's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is below Presidio County's 10%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79843 overlapping the city. Of its 1,485 homes, 81% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1949.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Presidio 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 Marfa
Foundation repair in Marfa: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 3% of Marfa's mapped land.
About 1,000 of Marfa's 1,485 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 Marfa city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.6% |
| Mapped soil | 1,039 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Marfa | 35% | n/a |
| Espy | 11% | n/a |
| Murray | 10% | n/a |
| Chilimol | 10% | n/a |
| Boracho | 9% | n/a |
| Eppenauer | 8% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on 0% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Marfa; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought in Presidio County
49.8% of Presidio 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 Marfa. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79843 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Marfa
| Housing units | 1,485 |
| Median year built | 1949 |
| Built before 1980 | 81% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $251,400 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 22 mi | 38% | 0% |
| Valentine | 34 mi | 12% | 0% |
| Balmorhea | 49 mi | 69% | 69% |
| Presidio | 56 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Van Horn | 70 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Toyah | 71 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Fort Stockton | 79 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Town of Pecos | 80 mi | 1% | 18% |
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