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Van Alstyne, Texas
Inside Van Alstyne's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 78% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 16 cities in Grayson County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Grayson County's 60%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75495 overlapping the city. Of its 2,465 homes, 31% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2005.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Grayson 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 Van Alstyne
Foundation repair in Van Alstyne: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 78% of Van Alstyne's mapped land, more than in 83% of Texas cities.
About 2,000 of Van Alstyne's 2,465 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 Van Alstyne city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 78.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 59.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 6.3% |
| Mapped soil | 3,553 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Fairlie | 36% | 70% |
| Houston Black | 21% | 91% |
| Austin | 19% | 93% |
| Howe | 4% | n/a |
| Lewisville | 3% | n/a |
| Whitewright | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.8% by land area here, and 59% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 78% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Grayson County is in drought on the latest map, and 78% of Van Alstyne's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Grayson County
100% of Grayson 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 Van Alstyne. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75495 | 98% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in Van Alstyne
| Housing units | 2,465 |
| Median year built | 2005 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 58% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $342,700 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | 5 mi | 76% | under 1% |
| Howe | 6 mi | 77% | 2% |
| Weston | 8 mi | 77% | under 1% |
| Tom Bean | 9 mi | 40% | under 1% |
| Melissa | 9 mi | 69% | under 1% |
| Dorchester | 10 mi | 73% | under 1% |
| Whitewright | 12 mi | 75% | 2% |
| Blue Ridge | 14 mi | 85% | 4% |
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