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Thorndale, Texas
Inside Thorndale's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 88% of mapped land, the highest of 5 cities in Milam County. A shallow water table limits basements on 26%, the 3rd-highest of 5 cities in Milam County.
That clay share is above Milam County's 61%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76577 overlapping the city. Of its 662 homes, 61% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Milam 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 Thorndale
Foundation repair in Thorndale: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 88% of Thorndale's mapped land, more than in 95% of Texas cities.
About 500 of Thorndale's 662 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 Thorndale city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 87.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 25.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 85.9% |
| Mapped soil | 618 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.9% by land area here, and 86% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 88% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Milam County is in drought on the latest map, and 88% of Thorndale's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 26% of Thorndale's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Milam County
100% of Milam 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 Thorndale. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76577 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Thorndale
| Housing units | 662 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $183,900 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
Nearby cities
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