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Mount Vernon, Texas
Inside Mount Vernon's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 57% of mapped land, higher than 63% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 48%.
That clay share is above Franklin County's 41%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75457 overlapping the city. Of its 984 homes, 36% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1985.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Franklin 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 Mount Vernon
Foundation repair in Mount Vernon: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 57% of Mount Vernon's mapped land, more than in 63% of Texas cities.
About 800 of Mount Vernon's 984 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 Mount Vernon city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 56.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 59.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.0% |
| Mapped soil | 2,822 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.4% by land area here, and 59% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 57% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Franklin County is in drought on the latest map, and 57% of Mount Vernon's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 48% of Mount Vernon's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Franklin County
100% of Franklin 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 Mount Vernon. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75457 | 100% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in Mount Vernon
| Housing units | 984 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $178,500 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miller's Cove | 7 mi | 82% | 39% |
| Winfield | 7 mi | 74% | 61% |
| Mount Pleasant | 15 mi | 46% | 36% |
| Talco | 15 mi | 88% | 2% |
| Winnsboro | 16 mi | 15% | 44% |
| Rocky Mound | 16 mi | 0% | 43% |
| Como | 17 mi | 85% | 21% |
| Pittsburg | 19 mi | 1% | 47% |
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