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Socorro, Texas
Inside Socorro's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of mapped land, the highest of 7 cities in El Paso County. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above El Paso County's 4%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79927 overlapping the city. Of its 12,052 homes, 18% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2000.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in El Paso 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 Socorro
Foundation repair in Socorro: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 27% of Socorro's mapped land.
About 9,000 of Socorro's 12,052 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 Socorro city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 36.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.5% |
| Mapped soil | 14,118 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Harkey | 24% | n/a |
| Bluepoint | 23% | n/a |
| Glendale | 14% | n/a |
| Saneli | 9% | n/a |
| Anapra | 6% | n/a |
| Tigua | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Drought in El Paso County
0% of El Paso 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 Socorro. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79927 | 91% | 3 | $21,114 |
Homes in Socorro
| Housing units | 12,052 |
| Median year built | 2000 |
| Built before 1980 | 18% |
| Built 2000 or later | 50% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $144,500 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clint | 4 mi | 20% | 0% |
| San Elizario | 4 mi | 22% | 0% |
| Horizon City | 5 mi | 0% | 0% |
| El Paso | 18 mi | 4% | 0% |
| Vinton | 30 mi | under 1% | 0% |
| Anthony | 31 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Dell City | 65 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Van Horn | 94 mi | 0% | 0% |
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