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Pearland, Texas
Inside Pearland's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 70% of mapped land, higher than 75% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 36%.
That clay share is above Brazoria County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 1,615 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 47,560 homes, 11% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2003.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources · in Brazoria 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 Pearland
Foundation repair in Pearland: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 70% of Pearland's mapped land, more than in 75% of Texas cities.
About 37,400 of Pearland's 47,560 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 Pearland city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 70.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 36.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 70.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 31,584 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | 60% | 97% |
| Bernard | 28% | 43% |
| Edna | 5% | n/a |
| Verland | 2% | n/a |
| Bacliff | 1% | n/a |
| Aris | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.2% by land area here, and 70% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 70% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Brazoria County is in drought on the latest map, and 70% of Pearland's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 36% of Pearland's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Pearland covers 49.2 square miles of land and counts 47,560 housing units, about 967 per square mile.
76% of Pearland's occupied homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $356,300; 62% of all homes in the city date from 2000 or later.
The largest soil series under Pearland is Lake Charles, on 60% of the mapped land, followed by Bernard at 28%.
USDA's soil survey maps 31,584 acres inside Pearland's city limits.
Drought in Brazoria County
100% of Brazoria County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Pearland. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77584 | 48% | 545 | $32.0 million |
| 77581 | 42% | 1,070 | $91.6 million |
Homes in Pearland
| Housing units | 47,560 |
| Median year built | 2003 |
| Built before 1980 | 11% |
| Built 2000 or later | 62% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $356,300 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookside Village | 2 mi | 69% | 56% |
| Manvel | 5 mi | 70% | 47% |
| Friendswood | 8 mi | 74% | 49% |
| South Houston | 9 mi | 53% | 6% |
| Arcola | 10 mi | 80% | 23% |
| Iowa Colony | 10 mi | 76% | 28% |
| Alvin | 11 mi | 65% | 48% |
| Pasadena | 12 mi | 53% | 37% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status