Van Zandt County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 46% of Van Zandt County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 35%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 21 flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Van Zandt County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 48.0% |
| Mapped soil | 549,964 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX467 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 48% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 46% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 46% of Van Zandt County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 35% of Van Zandt County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 28.60 in, 15.66 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.26 in.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
21 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.60 in (-15.66) |
| 2025 | 45.38 in (+1.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 75.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2005: 24.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILLS PT (14 mi away) | 13.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,903 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $222,100 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Van Zandt County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | 55% | 38% | 1,974 |
| Edgewood | 75% | 71% | 715 |
| Edom | under 1% | 16% | 110 |
| Fruitvale | 62% | 53% | 270 |
| Grand Saline | 58% | 36% | 1,406 |
| Van | 75% | 81% | 1,139 |
| Wills Point | 84% | 6% | 1,536 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rains County, TX | 22 mi | 60% | 34% |
| Henderson County, TX | 24 mi | 25% | 25% |
| Kaufman County, TX | 27 mi | 73% | 16% |
| Wood County, TX | 31 mi | 18% | 36% |
| Smith County, TX | 35 mi | 3% | 23% |
| Rockwall County, TX | 41 mi | 72% | 2% |
| Hunt County, TX | 42 mi | 78% | 17% |
| Hopkins County, TX | 44 mi | 63% | 31% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status