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Port Arthur, Texas
Inside Port Arthur's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 9 cities in Jefferson County. A shallow water table limits basements on 41%, the 5th-highest of 9 cities in Jefferson County.
That clay share is below Jefferson County's 56%. FEMA's flood data list 3,545 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 25,631 homes, 57% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1976.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Jefferson County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Port Arthur
Foundation repair in Port Arthur: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 31% of Port Arthur's mapped land.
About 17,600 of Port Arthur's 25,631 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 Port Arthur city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 45.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 16.7% |
| Mapped soil | 78,739 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Scatlake | 4% | n/a |
| Creole | 4% | n/a |
| Sabine | 3% | n/a |
| Veston | 3% | n/a |
| Harris | 3% | n/a |
| Bancker | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.1% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 98.7% of Jefferson County is in drought on the latest map, and 31% of Port Arthur's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 41% of Port Arthur's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Jefferson County
98.7% of Jefferson 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 Port Arthur. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77640 | 39% | 1,145 | $95.8 million |
| 77655 | 31% | 14 | $91,516 |
| 77642 | 22% | 2,386 | $299.3 million |
Homes in Port Arthur
| Housing units | 25,631 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,400 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groves | 3 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Port Neches | 6 mi | 29% | 28% |
| Nederland | 8 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Bridge City | 10 mi | 47% | 56% |
| Taylor Landing | 14 mi | 30% | 55% |
| West Orange | 15 mi | 66% | 28% |
| Pinehurst | 16 mi | 67% | 6% |
| Vidor | 17 mi | 38% | 52% |
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