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Sonora, Texas
Inside Sonora's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 48% of mapped land, higher than 55% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Sutton County's 19%. FEMA's flood data list 23 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76950 overlapping the city. Of its 1,326 homes, 58% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1971.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Sutton 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 Sonora
Foundation repair in Sonora: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 48% of Sonora's mapped land, more than in 55% of Texas cities.
About 1,000 of Sonora's 1,326 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 Sonora city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 47.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 60.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,423 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Angelo | 39% | n/a |
| Tarrant | 26% | n/a |
| Rioconcho | 13% | n/a |
| Dev | 10% | n/a |
| Ector | 2% | 0% |
| Kavett | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 60% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 48% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 48.1% of Sutton County is in drought on the latest map, and 48% of Sonora's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Sutton County
48.1% of Sutton 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 Sonora. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76950 | 100% | 23 | $876,737 |
Homes in Sonora
| Housing units | 1,326 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $143,200 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eldorado | 20 mi | 70% | 0% |
| Rocksprings | 46 mi | 5% | 0% |
| Mertzon | 49 mi | 15% | 0% |
| Junction | 52 mi | 30% | 0% |
| Menard | 56 mi | 38% | 0% |
| San Angelo | 61 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Big Lake | 65 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Eden | 65 mi | 36% | 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