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San Benito, Texas
Inside San Benito's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63% of mapped land, the highest of 19 cities in Cameron County. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
That clay share is above Cameron County's 29%. FEMA's flood data list 126 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78586 overlapping the city. Of its 9,367 homes, 40% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1987.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cameron 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 San Benito
Foundation repair in San Benito: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 63% of San Benito's mapped land, more than in 68% of Texas cities.
About 6,600 of San Benito's 9,367 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 San Benito city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 63.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 13.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 64.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.4% |
| Mapped soil | 10,326 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harlingen | 34% | n/a |
| Mercedes | 20% | n/a |
| Laredo | 17% | 0% |
| Olmito | 7% | n/a |
| Benito | 4% | n/a |
| Raymondville | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 13.7% by land area here, and 64% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 83.8% of Cameron County is in drought on the latest map, and 63% of San Benito's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Cameron County
83.8% of Cameron 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 San Benito. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78586 | 100% | 126 | $6.1 million |
Homes in San Benito
| Housing units | 9,367 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $85,300 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen | 5 mi | 62% | 1% |
| Rangerville | 6 mi | 56% | 5% |
| Los Indios | 8 mi | 41% | 1% |
| Rio Hondo | 8 mi | 39% | 21% |
| Rancho Viejo | 9 mi | 26% | 5% |
| Palm Valley | 9 mi | 18% | 4% |
| Indian Lake | 9 mi | 15% | 0% |
| Primera | 9 mi | 18% | 3% |
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