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Riesel, Texas
Inside Riesel's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 66% of mapped land, higher than 71% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above McLennan County's 56%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76682 overlapping the city. Of its 531 homes, 51% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1979.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in McLennan 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 Riesel
Foundation repair in Riesel: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 66% of Riesel's mapped land, more than in 71% of Texas cities.
About 400 of Riesel's 531 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 Riesel city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 65.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.9% |
| Mapped soil | 2,674 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.7% by land area here, and 66% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 66% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of McLennan County is in drought on the latest map, and 66% of Riesel's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in McLennan County
100% of McLennan 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 Riesel. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76682 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Riesel
| Housing units | 531 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $178,500 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallsburg | 4 mi | 76% | 0% |
| Mart | 8 mi | 81% | 0% |
| Golinda | 10 mi | 65% | 4% |
| Robinson | 11 mi | 73% | 1% |
| Marlin | 12 mi | 85% | 2% |
| Bellmead | 12 mi | 69% | 1% |
| Beverly Hills | 13 mi | 53% | 1% |
| Lacy-Lakeview | 14 mi | 66% | 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