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Sweeny, Texas
Inside Sweeny's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 36% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
That clay share is below Brazoria County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 154 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77480 overlapping the city. Of its 1,624 homes, 76% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Brazoria 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 Sweeny
Foundation repair in Sweeny: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 36% of Sweeny's mapped land.
About 1,300 of Sweeny's 1,624 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 Sweeny city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 46.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 13.8% |
| Mapped soil | 1,273 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Asa | 37% | 0% |
| Lake Charles | 20% | 97% |
| Pledger | 17% | n/a |
| Norwood | 5% | n/a |
| Brazoria | 4% | n/a |
| Clemville | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.8% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 36% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Brazoria County is in drought on the latest map, and 36% of Sweeny's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Drought in Brazoria County
100% of Brazoria 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 Sweeny. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77480 | 100% | 154 | $10.7 million |
Homes in Sweeny
| Housing units | 1,624 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,100 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbia | 7 mi | 35% | 42% |
| Brazoria | 8 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| Bailey's Prairie | 14 mi | 57% | 13% |
| Jones Creek | 15 mi | 5% | 1% |
| Lake Jackson | 15 mi | 67% | 15% |
| Holiday Lakes | 16 mi | 38% | 2% |
| Bay City | 16 mi | 88% | 29% |
| Richwood | 18 mi | 78% | 6% |
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