HomeTexasGonzales CountyWaelder
Waelder, Texas
Inside Waelder's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 76% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 4 cities in Gonzales County. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Gonzales County's 55%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78959 overlapping the city. Of its 307 homes, 63% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1970.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Gonzales 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 Waelder
Foundation repair in Waelder: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 76% of Waelder's mapped land, more than in 80% of Texas cities.
About 200 of Waelder's 307 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 Waelder city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 76.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 76.2% |
| Mapped soil | 831 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% 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 76% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Gonzales County is in drought on the latest map, and 76% of Waelder's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Gonzales County
100% of Gonzales 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 Waelder. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78959 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Waelder
| Housing units | 307 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $59,400 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flatonia | 12 mi | 96% | 4% |
| Moulton | 12 mi | 30% | 2% |
| Gonzales | 15 mi | 52% | under 1% |
| Shiner | 20 mi | 37% | 11% |
| Luling | 21 mi | 75% | 3% |
| Smithville | 23 mi | 20% | 5% |
| Schulenburg | 23 mi | 65% | 13% |
| Lockhart | 26 mi | 79% | under 1% |
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