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Riverside, Texas
Inside Riverside's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 54% of mapped land, the highest of 3 cities in Walker County. A shallow water table limits basements on 58%, the 2nd-highest of 3 cities in Walker County.
That clay share is above Walker County's 40%. FEMA's flood data list 102 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 354 homes, 15% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1993.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Walker 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 Riverside
Foundation repair in Riverside: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 54% of Riverside's mapped land, more than in 61% of Texas cities.
About 100 of Riverside's 354 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 Riverside city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 53.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 58.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,402 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Falba | 51% | n/a |
| Arol | 17% | n/a |
| Kitterll | 7% | n/a |
| Elmina | 7% | n/a |
| Lufkin | 1% | n/a |
| Shalba | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.8% by land area here, and 59% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 54% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Walker County is in drought on the latest map, and 54% of Riverside's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 58% of Riverside's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 73% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Walker County
100% of Walker 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 Riverside. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77320 | 58% | 101 | $5.9 million |
| 77367 | 42% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in Riverside
| Housing units | 354 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 15% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 54% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,600 |
| Single-family detached | 38% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity | 7 mi | 16% | 83% |
| Point Blank | 13 mi | 63% | 67% |
| Huntsville | 14 mi | 36% | 58% |
| Onalaska | 17 mi | 15% | 46% |
| Lovelady | 20 mi | 42% | 74% |
| Groveton | 22 mi | 0% | 87% |
| New Waverly | 22 mi | 43% | 53% |
| Coldspring | 24 mi | 2% | 5% |
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