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Palacios, Texas
Inside Palacios' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 77% of mapped land, higher than 82% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 69%.
That clay share is above Matagorda County's 62%. FEMA's flood data list 85 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77465 overlapping the city. Of its 2,196 homes, 66% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1964.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Matagorda 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 Palacios
Foundation repair in Palacios: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 77% of Palacios' mapped land, more than in 82% of Texas cities.
About 1,800 of Palacios' 2,196 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 Palacios city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 77.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 77.3% |
| Mapped soil | 3,921 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Palacios | 35% | n/a |
| Francitas | 18% | n/a |
| Laewest | 12% | 94% |
| Livia | 10% | n/a |
| Dacosta | 9% | n/a |
| Harris | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.4% by land area here, and 77% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 77% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Matagorda County is in drought on the latest map, and 77% of Palacios' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 69% of Palacios' 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 Matagorda County
100% of Matagorda 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 Palacios. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77465 | 100% | 85 | $1.7 million |
Homes in Palacios
| Housing units | 2,196 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,800 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Ward | 17 mi | 65% | 26% |
| Point Comfort | 20 mi | 89% | 13% |
| Bay City | 25 mi | 88% | 29% |
| Port Lavaca | 25 mi | 65% | 8% |
| Ganado | 28 mi | 89% | 4% |
| Edna | 31 mi | 85% | 40% |
| El Campo | 34 mi | 86% | 32% |
| Seadrift | 36 mi | 74% | 39% |
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