Wells, Texas
Inside Wells' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 93% of mapped land, the highest of 7 cities in Cherokee County. A shallow water table limits basements on 28%, the 3rd-highest of 7 cities in Cherokee County.
That clay share is above Cherokee County's 14%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75976 overlapping the city. Of its 292 homes, 66% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1970.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cherokee 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 Wells
Foundation repair in Wells: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 93% of Wells' mapped land, more than in 98% of Texas cities.
About 200 of Wells' 292 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 Wells city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 93.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 27.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 71.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,230 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Woodtell | 66% | 96% |
| Sacul | 26% | 73% |
| LaCerda | 3% | n/a |
| Ruston | 3% | n/a |
| Nacogdoches | 1% | 0% |
| Lilbert | under 1% | 0% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.9% by land area here, and 71% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 93% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 98.2% of Cherokee County is in drought on the latest map, and 93% of Wells' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 28% of Wells' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Cherokee County
98.2% of Cherokee 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 Wells. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75976 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Wells
| Housing units | 292 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 45% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,600 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
Nearby cities
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