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Rochester, Texas
Inside Rochester's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 41% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 6 cities in Haskell County. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%, the 2nd-highest of 6 cities in Haskell County.
That clay share is below Haskell County's 59%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79544 overlapping the city. Of its 143 homes, 90% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1953.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Haskell 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 Rochester
Foundation repair in Rochester: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 41% of Rochester's mapped land.
About 100 of Rochester's 143 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 Rochester city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 41.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 41.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 41.1% |
| Mapped soil | 216 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 41% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 41% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Haskell County is in drought on the latest map, and 41% of Rochester's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Drought in Haskell County
100% of Haskell 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 Rochester. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79544 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Rochester
| Housing units | 143 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 90% |
| Built 2000 or later | 3% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $55,000 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
Nearby cities
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