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Mathis, Texas
Inside Mathis' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 67% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 11 cities in San Patricio County. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
That clay share is above San Patricio County's 58%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78368 overlapping the city. Of its 2,054 homes, 74% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in San Patricio 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 Mathis
Foundation repair in Mathis: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 67% of Mathis' mapped land, more than in 72% of Texas cities.
About 1,400 of Mathis' 2,054 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 Mathis city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 67.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 67.1% |
| Mapped soil | 2,128 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 44% | 99% |
| Raymondville | 16% | n/a |
| Pettus | 8% | n/a |
| Papalote | 6% | n/a |
| Banquete | 6% | n/a |
| Orelia | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.7% by land area here, and 67% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 67% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of San Patricio County is in drought on the latest map, and 67% of Mathis' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in San Patricio County
100% of San Patricio 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 Mathis. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78368 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Mathis
| Housing units | 2,054 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $81,500 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside | 3 mi | 25% | 7% |
| Lake City | 4 mi | 1% | 0% |
| San Patricio | 8 mi | 39% | 18% |
| Orange Grove | 12 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| Odem | 17 mi | 30% | 3% |
| Sinton | 20 mi | 15% | 4% |
| Agua Dulce | 22 mi | 97% | 1% |
| Beeville | 22 mi | 40% | 9% |
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