Van, Texas
Inside Van's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 75% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 7 cities in Van Zandt County. A shallow water table limits basements on 81%, the highest of 7 cities in Van Zandt County.
That clay share is above Van Zandt County's 46%. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75790 overlapping the city. Of its 1,139 homes, 48% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1981.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Van Zandt 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
Foundation repair in Van: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 75% of Van's mapped land, more than in 80% of Texas cities.
About 1,000 of Van's 1,139 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 city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 75.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 76.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,945 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.2% by land area here, and 76% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 75% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Van Zandt County is in drought on the latest map, and 75% of Van's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 81% of Van's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Van Zandt County
100% of Van Zandt 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. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75790 | 100% | 4 | $20,371 |
Homes in Van
| Housing units | 1,139 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $169,900 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edom | 10 mi | under 1% | 16% |
| Hideaway | 11 mi | 0% | 4% |
| Grand Saline | 11 mi | 58% | 36% |
| Mineola | 13 mi | 64% | 62% |
| Canton | 13 mi | 55% | 38% |
| Lindale | 14 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Fruitvale | 15 mi | 62% | 53% |
| Brownsboro | 16 mi | 0% | 38% |
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