Waco, Texas
Inside Waco's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 38% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is below McLennan County's 56%. FEMA's flood data list 90 flood losses since 2016 in the 9 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 61,163 homes, 51% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1979.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources · in McLennan County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 9 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Waco
Foundation repair in Waco: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 38% of Waco's mapped land.
The city requires a permit for the work.
About 36,200 of Waco's 61,163 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Waco lists foundation repair or leveling as work that needs a Repairs and Alterations permit. (City of Waco, Development Services, read October 2, 2026) |
| 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 Waco city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 38.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 11.5% |
| Mapped soil | 66,971 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 38% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of McLennan County is in drought on the latest map, and 38% of Waco's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Waco covers 92.2 square miles of land and counts 61,163 housing units, about 663 per square mile.
49% of Waco's occupied homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $221,700; 29% of all homes in the city date from 2000 or later.
The largest soil series under Waco is Branyon, on 7% of the mapped land, followed by Fairlie at 7%.
USDA's soil survey maps 66,971 acres inside Waco's city limits.
Drought in McLennan County
100% of McLennan County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Waco. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76708 | 27% | 5 | $105,149 |
| 76712 | 18% | 17 | $437,563 |
| 76706 | 11% | 25 | $372,887 |
| 76710 | 11% | 25 | $1.1 million |
| 76704 | 6% | 2 | $10,331 |
| 76707 | 4% | 6 | $86,932 |
| 76711 | 4% | 6 | $168,424 |
| 76701 | 1% | 4 | $241,105 |
| 76798 | under 1% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Waco
| Housing units | 61,163 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 49% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $221,700 |
| Single-family detached | 59% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly Hills | 3 mi | 53% | 1% |
| Woodway | 5 mi | 25% | 0% |
| Bellmead | 7 mi | 69% | 1% |
| Lacy-Lakeview | 7 mi | 66% | 2% |
| Hewitt | 7 mi | 61% | under 1% |
| Robinson | 8 mi | 73% | 1% |
| Gholson | 11 mi | 24% | 2% |
| Lorena | 12 mi | 52% | 0% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status