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Marlin, Texas
Inside Marlin's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 85% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 4 cities in Falls County. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%, the 2nd-highest of 4 cities in Falls County.
That clay share is above Falls County's 72%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76661 overlapping the city. Of its 2,524 homes, 83% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1967.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Falls 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 Marlin
Foundation repair in Marlin: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 85% of Marlin's mapped land, more than in 93% of Texas cities.
About 2,000 of Marlin's 2,524 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 Marlin city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 85.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 85.3% |
| Mapped soil | 2,916 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 45% | 88% |
| Heiden | 10% | 80% |
| Houston Black | 10% | 91% |
| Crockett | 9% | 94% |
| Ships | 5% | n/a |
| Silawa | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.5% by land area here, and 85% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 85% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Falls County is in drought on the latest map, and 85% of Marlin's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Falls County
100% of Falls 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 Marlin. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76661 | 100% | 1 | $58,641 |
Homes in Marlin
| Housing units | 2,524 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 83% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $66,000 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
Nearby cities
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