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Sour Lake, Texas
Inside Sour Lake's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 67% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 5 cities in Hardin County. A shallow water table limits basements on 58%, the highest of 5 cities in Hardin County.
That clay share is above Hardin County's 12%. FEMA's flood data list 478 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77659 overlapping the city. Of its 936 homes, 51% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1979.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Hardin 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 Sour Lake
Foundation repair in Sour Lake: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 67% of Sour Lake's mapped land, more than in 72% of Texas cities.
About 700 of Sour Lake's 936 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 Sour Lake city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 66.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 58.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 66.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,503 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Labelle | 27% | n/a |
| Levac | 20% | n/a |
| League | 15% | 92% |
| Aris | 11% | n/a |
| Anahuac | 5% | n/a |
| Beaumont | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.4% by land area here, and 67% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 67% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 26.6% of Hardin County is in drought on the latest map, and 67% of Sour Lake's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 58% of Sour Lake's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Hardin County
26.6% of Hardin 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 Sour Lake. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77659 | 100% | 478 | $92.4 million |
Homes in Sour Lake
| Housing units | 936 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $173,800 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 7 mi | 50% | 51% |
| Nome | 7 mi | 47% | 51% |
| Bevil Oaks | 8 mi | 25% | 80% |
| Rose Hill Acres | 13 mi | 82% | 16% |
| Devers | 13 mi | 13% | 86% |
| Daisetta | 14 mi | 43% | 56% |
| Lumberton | 14 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Beaumont | 16 mi | 28% | 28% |
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