Ralls, Texas
Inside Ralls' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 98% of mapped land, the highest of 3 cities in Crosby County. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Crosby County.
That clay share is above Crosby County's 54%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79357 overlapping the city. Of its 794 homes, 86% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1960.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Crosby 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 Ralls
Foundation repair in Ralls: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 98% of Ralls' mapped land, more than in 99% of Texas cities.
About 700 of Ralls' 794 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 Ralls city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 97.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 94.5% |
| Mapped soil | 861 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 95% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 98% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Crosby County is in drought on the latest map, and 98% of Ralls' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Crosby County
100% of Crosby 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 Ralls. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79357 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Ralls
| Housing units | 794 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 86% |
| Built 2000 or later | 1% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $72,200 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo | 9 mi | 94% | 3% |
| Crosbyton | 9 mi | 90% | 2% |
| Idalou | 17 mi | 34% | 2% |
| Petersburg | 18 mi | 95% | 1% |
| Ransom Canyon | 20 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Buffalo Springs Lake | 20 mi | 2% | 0% |
| Floydada | 21 mi | over 99% | 4% |
| Slaton | 22 mi | 8% | 2% |
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