Mason, Texas
Inside Mason's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Mason County's 15%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76856 overlapping the city. Of its 987 homes, 62% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Mason 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 Mason
Foundation repair in Mason: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 25% of Mason's mapped land.
About 800 of Mason's 987 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 Mason city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.9% |
| Mapped soil | 2,357 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Katemcy | 19% | n/a |
| Fieldcreek | 9% | n/a |
| Ligon | 9% | n/a |
| Acove | 8% | n/a |
| Nebgen | 7% | n/a |
| Honeycreek | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 1.7% of Mason County is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Mason's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Mason County
1.7% of Mason 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 Mason. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76856 | 100% | 2 | $90,000 |
Homes in Mason
| Housing units | 987 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $259,800 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brady | 26 mi | 23% | 0% |
| Llano | 33 mi | 7% | 0% |
| Menard | 35 mi | 38% | 0% |
| Junction | 37 mi | 30% | 0% |
| Melvin | 38 mi | 14% | 0% |
| Fredericksburg | 39 mi | 42% | 0% |
| Richland Springs | 40 mi | 43% | 0% |
| San Saba | 43 mi | 78% | 0% |
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