Nixon, Texas
Inside Nixon's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 89% of mapped land, the highest of 4 cities in Gonzales County. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Gonzales County's 55%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78140 overlapping the city. Of its 927 homes, 50% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1980.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Gonzales 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 Nixon
Foundation repair in Nixon: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 89% of Nixon's mapped land, more than in 97% of Texas cities.
About 600 of Nixon's 927 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 Nixon city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 89.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 13.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 89.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,001 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 13.5% by land area here, and 89% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 89% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Gonzales County is in drought on the latest map, and 89% of Nixon's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Gonzales County
100% of Gonzales 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 Nixon. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78140 | 100% | 2 | $26,534 |
Homes in Nixon
| Housing units | 927 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $74,900 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
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