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San Perlita, Texas
Inside San Perlita's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Willacy County. A shallow water table limits basements on 24%, the highest of 3 cities in Willacy County.
That clay share is below Willacy County's 18%. FEMA's flood data list 92 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 170 homes, 56% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1970.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Willacy 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 San Perlita
Foundation repair in San Perlita: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 3% of San Perlita's mapped land.
About 100 of San Perlita's 170 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 Perlita city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 23.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 26.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.8% |
| Mapped soil | 333 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Racombes | 46% | n/a |
| Lozano | 20% | n/a |
| Willacy | 13% | n/a |
| Raymondville | 4% | n/a |
| Rio | 3% | n/a |
| Hidalgo | 2% | 0% |
What the numbers mean here
On 24% of San Perlita's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Willacy County
100% of Willacy 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 Perlita. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78590 | 81% | 0 | $0 |
| 78580 | 19% | 92 | $895,013 |
Homes in San Perlita
| Housing units | 170 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 100% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $56,600 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymondville | 9 mi | 23% | 11% |
| Lyford | 11 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Combes | 18 mi | 26% | 2% |
| Rio Hondo | 19 mi | 39% | 21% |
| Primera | 20 mi | 18% | 3% |
| Santa Rosa | 20 mi | 50% | 2% |
| Harlingen | 22 mi | 62% | 1% |
| Palm Valley | 22 mi | 18% | 4% |
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