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Smithville, Texas
Inside Smithville's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Bastrop County. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%, the 2nd-highest of 3 cities in Bastrop County.
That clay share is below Bastrop County's 52%. FEMA's flood data list 53 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78957 overlapping the city. Of its 2,034 homes, 66% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1967.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Bastrop 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 Smithville
Foundation repair in Smithville: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 20% of Smithville's mapped land.
About 1,500 of Smithville's 2,034 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 Smithville city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 49.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.0% |
| Mapped soil | 2,661 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Smithville | 27% | n/a |
| Bosque | 17% | n/a |
| Bastrop | 10% | n/a |
| Krum | 8% | n/a |
| Axtell | 8% | 89% |
| Gad | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Bastrop County is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Smithville's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Drought in Bastrop County
100% of Bastrop 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 Smithville. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78957 | 100% | 53 | $2.2 million |
Homes in Smithville
| Housing units | 2,034 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $254,400 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bastrop | 13 mi | 26% | 7% |
| La Grange | 18 mi | 64% | 4% |
| Giddings | 18 mi | 86% | 48% |
| Flatonia | 22 mi | 96% | 4% |
| Waelder | 23 mi | 76% | 0% |
| Webberville | 26 mi | 32% | 1% |
| Schulenburg | 27 mi | 65% | 13% |
| Round Top | 28 mi | 24% | 7% |
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