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Texas City, Texas
Inside Texas City's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 32%.
That clay share is below Galveston County's 23%. FEMA's flood data list 3,362 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 23,618 homes, 45% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1984.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Galveston County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Texas City
Foundation repair in Texas City: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 16% of Texas City's mapped land.
The city lists a permit for the work.
About 16,200 of Texas City's 23,618 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Texas City's building and inspections fee schedule lists a residential foundation repair permit at $75. (City of Texas City, Texas, read October 2, 2026) |
| Permit fee | Texas City lists a $75 residential permit fee for foundation repair. (City of Texas City, Texas) |
| 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 Texas City city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 30.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.6% |
| Mapped soil | 119,398 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | 6% | 97% |
| Bernard | 4% | 43% |
| Kemah | 3% | n/a |
| Hoeckers | 2% | n/a |
| Mocarey | 2% | n/a |
| Francitas | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Galveston County is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Texas City's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 32% of Texas City's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Galveston County
100% of Galveston 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 Texas City. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77590 | 37% | 226 | $6.2 million |
| 77539 | 35% | 2,778 | $321.8 million |
| 77591 | 16% | 358 | $19.2 million |
Homes in Texas City
| Housing units | 23,618 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 34% |
| Owner-occupied | 56% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $217,300 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Marque | 7 mi | 61% | 64% |
| Bayou Vista | 7 mi | 35% | 68% |
| Tiki Island | 9 mi | 5% | 68% |
| Dickinson | 10 mi | 66% | 74% |
| Kemah | 11 mi | 20% | 93% |
| Clear Lake Shores | 12 mi | 16% | 57% |
| Hitchcock | 12 mi | 40% | 94% |
| Santa Fe | 13 mi | 6% | 92% |
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