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Orange, Texas
Inside Orange's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 35%, the 5th-highest of 7 cities in Orange County.
That clay share is above Orange County's 26%. USDA doesn't rate the 29% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 3,989 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 8,974 homes, 64% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1973.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Orange County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Orange
Foundation repair in Orange: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 35% of Orange's mapped land.
About 6,200 of Orange's 8,974 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 Orange city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 28.9% |
| Mapped soil | 15,011 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Orcadia | 18% | n/a |
| Aris | 6% | n/a |
| Labelle | 5% | n/a |
| Barbary | 5% | n/a |
| Evadale | 5% | n/a |
| Texla | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Orange County is in drought on the latest map, and 35% of Orange's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 35% of Orange's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 61% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Orange County
100% of Orange 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 Orange. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77630 | 55% | 1,970 | $176.7 million |
| 77632 | 45% | 2,019 | $214.1 million |
Homes in Orange
| Housing units | 8,974 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $164,900 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinehurst | 2 mi | 67% | 6% |
| West Orange | 3 mi | 66% | 28% |
| Bridge City | 8 mi | 47% | 56% |
| Vidor | 14 mi | 38% | 52% |
| Groves | 16 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Port Neches | 17 mi | 29% | 28% |
| Pine Forest | 17 mi | 41% | 55% |
| Port Arthur | 18 mi | 31% | 41% |
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