BasementSoil

Texas: basement moisture and foundation risk by county

254 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Brazoria County (79), lowest is Bailey County (25). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Aransas County.

Where in Texas the ground is worse

Every county in the state, coloured by the soil values below. Click a county to open its report; switch what the colour means with the buttons. The pattern is geology, not administration — risk stops at the edge of a physiographic region, not at a county line.

Anderson County, TX — combined 38/100, moisture 40, movement 31, water table 46Andrews County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 32, movement 38, water table 30Angelina County, TX — combined 44/100, moisture 41, movement 46, water table 46Aransas County, TX — combined 54/100, moisture 40, movement 100, water table 16Archer County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 40, movement 100, water table 46Armstrong County, TX — combined 28/100, moisture 30, movement 34, water table 16Atascosa County, TX — combined 70/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 66Austin County, TX — combined 72/100, moisture 65, movement 87, water table 66Bailey County, TX — combined 25/100, moisture 30, movement 25, water table 16Bandera County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 28, movement 43, water table 30Bastrop County, TX — combined 67/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 46Baylor County, TX — combined 55/100, moisture 43, movement 100, water table 16Bee County, TX — combined 60/100, moisture 44, movement 94, water table 46Bell County, TX — combined 65/100, moisture 50, movement 100, water table 46Bexar County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 53, movement 100, water table 46Blanco County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 46Borden County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 46, water table 30Bosque County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 46Bowie County, TX — combined 40/100, moisture 43, movement 30, water table 46Brazoria County, TX — combined 79/100, moisture 62, movement 100, water table 82Brazos County, TX — combined 73/100, moisture 61, movement 84, water table 82Brewster County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 27, movement 62, water table 16Briscoe County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 32, movement 52, water table 16Brooks County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 42, movement 100, water table 46Brown County, TX — combined 32/100, moisture 28, movement 40, water table 30Burleson County, TX — combined 65/100, moisture 50, movement 100, water table 46Burnet County, TX — combined 70/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 66Caldwell County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 53, movement 100, water table 66Calhoun County, TX — combined 46/100, moisture 44, movement 71, water table 16Callahan County, TX — combined 47/100, moisture 41, movement 69, water table 30Cameron County, TX — combined 49/100, moisture 42, movement 72, water table 30Camp County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 40, movement 25, water table 46Carson County, TX — combined 28/100, moisture 30, movement 35, water table 16Cass County, TX — combined 44/100, moisture 41, movement 46, water table 46Castro County, TX — combined 40/100, moisture 35, movement 55, water table 30Chambers County, TX — combined 77/100, moisture 63, movement 92, water table 82Cherokee County, TX — combined 51/100, moisture 44, movement 49, water table 66Childress County, TX — combined 48/100, moisture 44, movement 67, water table 30Clay County, TX — combined 55/100, moisture 40, movement 84, water table 46Cochran County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 30, movement 48, water table 30Coke County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 29, movement 27, water table 30Coleman County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 28, movement 47, water table 30Collin County, TX — combined 70/100, moisture 50, movement 100, water table 66Collingsworth County, TX — combined 46/100, moisture 42, movement 64, water table 30Colorado County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 54, movement 98, water table 66Comal County, TX — combined 64/100, moisture 52, movement 93, water table 46Comanche County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 66Concho County, TX — combined 32/100, moisture 28, movement 48, water table 16Cooke County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 66Coryell County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 66Cottle County, TX — combined 59/100, moisture 44, movement 100, water table 30Crane County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 26, movement 50, water table 16Crockett County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 28, movement 57, water table 16Crosby County, TX — combined 34/100, moisture 34, movement 36, water table 30Culberson County, TX — combined 27/100, moisture 27, movement 25, water table 30Dallam County, TX — combined 27/100, moisture 33, movement 25, water table 16Dallas County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 46Dawson County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 33, movement 40, water table 30DeWitt County, TX — combined 70/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 66Deaf Smith County, TX — combined 34/100, moisture 35, movement 46, water table 16Delta County, TX — combined 44/100, moisture 40, movement 49, water table 46Denton County, TX — combined 62/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 30Dickens County, TX — combined 38/100, moisture 31, movement 54, water table 30Dimmit County, TX — combined 51/100, moisture 43, movement 86, water table 16Donley County, TX — combined 50/100, moisture 43, movement 75, water table 30Duval County, TX — combined 59/100, moisture 44, movement 89, water table 46Eastland County, TX — combined 50/100, moisture 41, movement 77, water table 30Ector County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 33, movement 39, water table 16Edwards County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 28, movement 41, water table 30El Paso County, TX — combined 39/100, moisture 25, movement 65, water table 30Ellis County, TX — combined 69/100, moisture 53, movement 95, water table 66Erath County, TX — combined 46/100, moisture 40, movement 66, water table 30Falls County, TX — combined 58/100, moisture 49, movement 91, water table 30Fannin County, TX — combined 62/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 30Fayette County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 54, movement 93, water table 30Fisher County, TX — combined 57/100, moisture 42, movement 96, water table 30Floyd County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 34, movement 44, water table 30Foard County, TX — combined 48/100, moisture 44, movement 66, water table 30Fort Bend County, TX — combined 67/100, moisture 61, movement 76, water table 66Franklin County, TX — combined 52/100, moisture 42, movement 57, water table 66Freestone County, TX — combined 63/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 30Frio County, TX — combined 26/100, moisture 28, movement 30, water table 16Gaines County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 30, movement 53, water table 30Galveston County, TX — combined 74/100, moisture 60, movement 100, water table 66Garza County, TX — combined 34/100, moisture 31, movement 41, water table 30Gillespie County, TX — combined 26/100, moisture 29, movement 30, water table 16Glasscock County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 33, movement 40, water table 30Goliad County, TX — combined 70/100, moisture 54, movement 96, water table 66Gonzales County, TX — combined 65/100, moisture 51, movement 98, water table 46Gray County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 31, movement 43, water table 30Grayson County, TX — combined 63/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 30Gregg County, TX — combined 42/100, moisture 40, movement 29, water table 66Grimes County, TX — combined 68/100, moisture 64, movement 75, water table 66Guadalupe County, TX — combined 67/100, moisture 50, movement 92, water table 66Hale County, TX — combined 39/100, moisture 30, movement 57, water table 30Hall County, TX — combined 44/100, moisture 40, movement 70, water table 16Hamilton County, TX — combined 70/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 66Hansford County, TX — combined 32/100, moisture 31, movement 44, water table 16Hardeman County, TX — combined 53/100, moisture 44, movement 71, water table 46Hardin County, TX — combined 76/100, moisture 64, movement 100, water table 66Harris County, TX — combined 69/100, moisture 65, movement 77, water table 66Harrison County, TX — combined 50/100, moisture 44, movement 48, water table 66Hartley County, TX — combined 40/100, moisture 32, movement 57, water table 30Haskell County, TX — combined 44/100, moisture 41, movement 58, water table 30Hays County, TX — combined 67/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 46Hemphill County, TX — combined 47/100, moisture 43, movement 65, water table 30Henderson County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 39, movement 23, water table 46Hidalgo County, TX — combined 53/100, moisture 40, movement 98, water table 16Hill County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 53, movement 100, water table 66Hockley County, TX — combined 26/100, moisture 30, movement 29, water table 16Hood County, TX — combined 62/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 30Hopkins County, TX — combined 50/100, moisture 43, movement 47, water table 66Houston County, TX — combined 46/100, moisture 43, movement 50, water table 46Howard County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 55, water table 16Hudspeth County, TX — combined 28/100, moisture 25, movement 41, water table 16Hunt County, TX — combined 62/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 30Hutchinson County, TX — combined 27/100, moisture 30, movement 30, water table 16Irion County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 26, movement 56, water table 30Jack County, TX — combined 60/100, moisture 45, movement 91, water table 46Jackson County, TX — combined 65/100, moisture 49, movement 100, water table 46Jasper County, TX — combined 78/100, moisture 61, movement 100, water table 82Jeff Davis County, TX — combined 38/100, moisture 25, movement 61, water table 30Jefferson County, TX — combined 75/100, moisture 62, movement 87, water table 82Jim Hogg County, TX — combined 56/100, moisture 40, movement 87, water table 46Jim Wells County, TX — combined 53/100, moisture 41, movement 75, water table 46Johnson County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 46Jones County, TX — combined 44/100, moisture 41, movement 59, water table 30Karnes County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 49, movement 100, water table 30Kaufman County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 66Kendall County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 28, movement 37, water table 30Kenedy County, TX — combined 52/100, moisture 43, movement 80, water table 30Kent County, TX — combined 62/100, moisture 44, movement 100, water table 46Kerr County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 28, movement 48, water table 30Kimble County, TX — combined 28/100, moisture 28, movement 27, water table 30King County, TX — combined 51/100, moisture 42, movement 79, water table 30Kinney County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 29, movement 27, water table 30Kleberg County, TX — combined 48/100, moisture 44, movement 68, water table 30Knox County, TX — combined 45/100, moisture 40, movement 73, water table 16La Salle County, TX — combined 54/100, moisture 41, movement 77, water table 46Lamar County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 41, movement 22, water table 46Lamb County, TX — combined 32/100, moisture 32, movement 33, water table 30Lampasas County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 46Lavaca County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 46Lee County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 53, movement 100, water table 46Leon County, TX — combined 69/100, moisture 49, movement 100, water table 66Liberty County, TX — combined 68/100, moisture 61, movement 78, water table 66Limestone County, TX — combined 63/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 30Lipscomb County, TX — combined 56/100, moisture 42, movement 84, water table 46Live Oak County, TX — combined 52/100, moisture 41, movement 84, water table 30Llano County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 52, movement 100, water table 46Loving County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 34, movement 43, water table 30Lubbock County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 33, movement 54, water table 16Lynn County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 30, movement 38, water table 30Madison County, TX — combined 65/100, moisture 54, movement 93, water table 46Marion County, TX — combined 52/100, moisture 44, movement 54, water table 66Martin County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 31, movement 48, water table 16Mason County, TX — combined 27/100, moisture 30, movement 22, water table 30Matagorda County, TX — combined 73/100, moisture 63, movement 80, water table 82Maverick County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 29, movement 46, water table 16McCulloch County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 31, movement 32, water table 30McLennan County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 49, movement 100, water table 30McMullen County, TX — combined 51/100, moisture 40, movement 71, water table 46Medina County, TX — combined 28/100, moisture 29, movement 25, water table 30Menard County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 30, movement 45, water table 30Midland County, TX — combined 30/100, moisture 31, movement 30, water table 30Milam County, TX — combined 70/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 66Mills County, TX — combined 67/100, moisture 54, movement 100, water table 46Mitchell County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 33, movement 52, water table 16Montague County, TX — combined 69/100, moisture 49, movement 100, water table 66Montgomery County, TX — combined 74/100, moisture 60, movement 99, water table 66Moore County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 30, movement 37, water table 16Morris County, TX — combined 51/100, moisture 41, movement 54, water table 66Motley County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 33, movement 39, water table 16Nacogdoches County, TX — combined 38/100, moisture 40, movement 30, water table 46Navarro County, TX — combined 62/100, moisture 50, movement 91, water table 46Newton County, TX — combined 76/100, moisture 64, movement 90, water table 82Nolan County, TX — combined 48/100, moisture 41, movement 71, water table 30Nueces County, TX — combined 56/100, moisture 39, movement 100, water table 30Ochiltree County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 30, movement 50, water table 16Oldham County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 31, movement 43, water table 16Orange County, TX — combined 75/100, moisture 62, movement 100, water table 66Palo Pinto County, TX — combined 54/100, moisture 43, movement 87, water table 30Panola County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 40, movement 25, water table 46Parker County, TX — combined 68/100, moisture 54, movement 90, water table 66Parmer County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 33, movement 57, water table 16Pecos County, TX — combined 30/100, moisture 27, movement 35, water table 30Polk County, TX — combined 74/100, moisture 63, movement 94, water table 66Potter County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 34, movement 34, water table 30Presidio County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 27, movement 41, water table 16Rains County, TX — combined 42/100, moisture 41, movement 27, water table 66Randall County, TX — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 56, water table 16Reagan County, TX — combined 31/100, moisture 27, movement 47, water table 16Real County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 31, movement 25, water table 30Red River County, TX — combined 48/100, moisture 42, movement 44, water table 66Reeves County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 26, movement 43, water table 16Refugio County, TX — combined 53/100, moisture 42, movement 95, water table 16Roberts County, TX — combined 59/100, moisture 44, movement 100, water table 30Robertson County, TX — combined 64/100, moisture 51, movement 94, water table 46Rockwall County, TX — combined 63/100, moisture 51, movement 93, water table 46Runnels County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 28, movement 31, water table 30Rusk County, TX — combined 46/100, moisture 40, movement 39, water table 66Sabine County, TX — combined 38/100, moisture 40, movement 28, water table 46San Augustine County, TX — combined 38/100, moisture 42, movement 28, water table 46San Jacinto County, TX — combined 78/100, moisture 60, movement 100, water table 82San Patricio County, TX — combined 43/100, moisture 41, movement 66, water table 16San Saba County, TX — combined 27/100, moisture 27, movement 25, water table 30Schleicher County, TX — combined 34/100, moisture 30, movement 41, water table 30Scurry County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 31, movement 39, water table 30Shackelford County, TX — combined 55/100, moisture 40, movement 84, water table 46Shelby County, TX — combined 47/100, moisture 42, movement 41, water table 66Sherman County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 33, movement 55, water table 16Smith County, TX — combined 51/100, moisture 40, movement 56, water table 66Somervell County, TX — combined 65/100, moisture 50, movement 100, water table 46Starr County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 40, movement 100, water table 46Stephens County, TX — combined 55/100, moisture 40, movement 84, water table 46Sterling County, TX — combined 33/100, moisture 31, movement 39, water table 30Stonewall County, TX — combined 49/100, moisture 41, movement 75, water table 30Sutton County, TX — combined 28/100, moisture 28, movement 25, water table 30Swisher County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 34, movement 53, water table 16Tarrant County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 53, movement 100, water table 46Taylor County, TX — combined 46/100, moisture 41, movement 66, water table 30Terrell County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 25, movement 34, water table 30Terry County, TX — combined 34/100, moisture 34, movement 48, water table 16Throckmorton County, TX — combined 56/100, moisture 45, movement 89, water table 30Titus County, TX — combined 36/100, moisture 41, movement 23, water table 46Tom Green County, TX — combined 34/100, moisture 29, movement 45, water table 30Travis County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 46Trinity County, TX — combined 42/100, moisture 42, movement 39, water table 46Tyler County, TX — combined 67/100, moisture 60, movement 79, water table 66Upshur County, TX — combined 47/100, moisture 42, movement 54, water table 46Upton County, TX — combined 28/100, moisture 26, movement 41, water table 16Uvalde County, TX — combined 26/100, moisture 30, movement 29, water table 16Val Verde County, TX — combined 25/100, moisture 24, movement 32, water table 16Van Zandt County, TX — combined 44/100, moisture 40, movement 47, water table 46Victoria County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 50, movement 100, water table 30Walker County, TX — combined 75/100, moisture 64, movement 98, water table 66Waller County, TX — combined 75/100, moisture 62, movement 100, water table 66Ward County, TX — combined 30/100, moisture 27, movement 45, water table 16Washington County, TX — combined 75/100, moisture 62, movement 99, water table 66Webb County, TX — combined 61/100, moisture 42, movement 100, water table 46Wharton County, TX — combined 79/100, moisture 63, movement 100, water table 82Wheeler County, TX — combined 58/100, moisture 42, movement 100, water table 30Wichita County, TX — combined 51/100, moisture 40, movement 82, water table 30Wilbarger County, TX — combined 57/100, moisture 41, movement 100, water table 30Willacy County, TX — combined 50/100, moisture 40, movement 77, water table 30Williamson County, TX — combined 71/100, moisture 53, movement 100, water table 66Wilson County, TX — combined 69/100, moisture 50, movement 98, water table 66Winkler County, TX — combined 32/100, moisture 32, movement 34, water table 30Wise County, TX — combined 66/100, moisture 51, movement 100, water table 46Wood County, TX — combined 50/100, moisture 43, movement 47, water table 66Yoakum County, TX — combined 35/100, moisture 30, movement 57, water table 16Young County, TX — combined 59/100, moisture 44, movement 89, water table 46Zapata County, TX — combined 55/100, moisture 44, movement 100, water table 16Zavala County, TX — combined 29/100, moisture 31, movement 27, water table 30
  • Low (0–27)
  • Moderate (28–49)
  • Elevated (50–74)
  • High (75–100)

County boundaries: US Census TIGER (public domain), simplified for display. Colours are our index from USDA SSURGO fields where loaded, otherwise from our regional model — each county page states which. How the index is calculated.

CountyIndexMoistureCracksWater tableRegion
Brazoria County796210082Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Wharton County796310082Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Jasper County786110082Texas Gulf Coast prairie
San Jacinto County786010082Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Chambers County77639282Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Hardin County766410066Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Newton County76649082Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Jefferson County75628782Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Orange County756210066Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Walker County75649866Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Waller County756210066Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Washington County75629966Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Galveston County746010066Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Montgomery County74609966Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Polk County74639466Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Brazos County73618482Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Matagorda County73638082Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Austin County72658766Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Caldwell County715310066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Colorado County71549866Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Comanche County715210066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Cooke County715210066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Coryell County715410066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Hill County715310066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Kaufman County715410066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Williamson County715310066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Atascosa County705110066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Burnet County705110066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Collin County705010066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
DeWitt County705110066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Goliad County70549666Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Hamilton County705110066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Milam County705110066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Ellis County69539566Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Harris County69657766Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Leon County694910066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Montague County694910066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Wilson County69509866Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Grimes County68647566Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Liberty County68617866Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Parker County68549066Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Bastrop County675410046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Fort Bend County67617666Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Guadalupe County67509266Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Hays County675410046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Mills County675410046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Tyler County67607966Texas Gulf Coast prairie
Bexar County665310046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Blanco County665210046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Bosque County665210046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Dallas County665210046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Johnson County665210046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Lampasas County665210046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Lavaca County665110046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Lee County665310046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Llano County665210046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Tarrant County665310046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Travis County665110046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Wise County665110046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Bell County655010046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Burleson County655010046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Gonzales County65519846Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Jackson County654910046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Madison County65549346Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Somervell County655010046Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Comal County64529346Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Robertson County64519446Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Freestone County635410030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Grayson County635410030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Limestone County635410030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Rockwall County63519346Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Denton County625210030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Fannin County625110030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Hood County625210030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Hunt County625210030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Kent County624410046Permian red beds
Navarro County62509146Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Archer County614010046Permian red beds
Brooks County614210046South Texas Plains
Fayette County61549330Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Karnes County614910030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
McLennan County614910030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Starr County614010046South Texas Plains
Victoria County615010030Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Webb County614210046South Texas Plains
Bee County60449446South Texas Plains
Jack County60459146Permian red beds
Cottle County594410030Permian red beds
Duval County59448946South Texas Plains
Roberts County594410030Permian red beds
Young County59448946Permian red beds
Falls County58499130Blackland Prairie and Black Belt
Wheeler County584210030Permian red beds
Fisher County57429630Permian red beds
Wilbarger County574110030Permian red beds
Jim Hogg County56408746South Texas Plains
Lipscomb County56428446Permian red beds
Nueces County563910030South Texas Plains
Throckmorton County56458930Permian red beds
Baylor County554310016Permian red beds
Clay County55408446Permian red beds
Shackelford County55408446Permian red beds
Stephens County55408446Permian red beds
Zapata County554410016South Texas Plains
Aransas County544010016South Texas Plains
La Salle County54417746South Texas Plains
Palo Pinto County54438730Permian red beds
Hardeman County53447146Permian red beds
Hidalgo County53409816South Texas Plains
Jim Wells County53417546South Texas Plains
Refugio County53429516South Texas Plains
Franklin County52425766Gulf Coastal Plain
Kenedy County52438030South Texas Plains
Live Oak County52418430South Texas Plains
Marion County52445466Gulf Coastal Plain
Cherokee County51444966Gulf Coastal Plain
Dimmit County51438616South Texas Plains
King County51427930Permian red beds
McMullen County51407146South Texas Plains
Morris County51415466Gulf Coastal Plain
Smith County51405666Gulf Coastal Plain
Wichita County51408230Permian red beds
Donley County50437530Permian red beds
Eastland County50417730Permian red beds
Harrison County50444866Gulf Coastal Plain
Hopkins County50434766Gulf Coastal Plain
Willacy County50407730South Texas Plains
Wood County50434766Gulf Coastal Plain
Cameron County49427230South Texas Plains
Stonewall County49417530Permian red beds
Childress County48446730Permian red beds
Foard County48446630Permian red beds
Kleberg County48446830South Texas Plains
Nolan County48417130Permian red beds
Red River County48424466Gulf Coastal Plain
Callahan County47416930Permian red beds
Hemphill County47436530Permian red beds
Shelby County47424166Gulf Coastal Plain
Upshur County47425446Gulf Coastal Plain
Calhoun County46447116South Texas Plains
Collingsworth County46426430Permian red beds
Erath County46406630Permian red beds
Houston County46435046Gulf Coastal Plain
Rusk County46403966Gulf Coastal Plain
Taylor County46416630Permian red beds
Knox County45407316Permian red beds
Angelina County44414646Gulf Coastal Plain
Cass County44414646Gulf Coastal Plain
Delta County44404946Gulf Coastal Plain
Hall County44407016Permian red beds
Haskell County44415830Permian red beds
Jones County44415930Permian red beds
Van Zandt County44404746Gulf Coastal Plain
San Patricio County43416616South Texas Plains
Gregg County42402966Gulf Coastal Plain
Rains County42412766Gulf Coastal Plain
Trinity County42423946Gulf Coastal Plain
Bowie County40433046Gulf Coastal Plain
Castro County40355530High Plains
Hartley County40325730High Plains
El Paso County39256530Trans-Pecos desert
Hale County39305730High Plains
Anderson County38403146Gulf Coastal Plain
Dickens County38315430High Plains
Jeff Davis County38256130Trans-Pecos desert
Nacogdoches County38403046Gulf Coastal Plain
Sabine County38402846Gulf Coastal Plain
San Augustine County38422846Gulf Coastal Plain
Borden County37344630High Plains
Camp County37402546Gulf Coastal Plain
Gaines County37305330High Plains
Howard County37345516High Plains
Irion County37265630Trans-Pecos desert
Panola County37402546Gulf Coastal Plain
Parmer County37335716High Plains
Randall County37345616High Plains
Brewster County36276216Trans-Pecos desert
Cochran County36304830High Plains
Floyd County36344430High Plains
Lamar County36412246Gulf Coastal Plain
Loving County36344330High Plains
Lubbock County36335416High Plains
Sherman County36335516High Plains
Swisher County36345316High Plains
Titus County36412346Gulf Coastal Plain
Briscoe County35325216High Plains
Coleman County35284730Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Crockett County35285716Trans-Pecos desert
Dawson County35334030High Plains
Glasscock County35334030High Plains
Gray County35314330High Plains
Henderson County35392346Gulf Coastal Plain
Kerr County35284830Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Menard County35304530Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Mitchell County35335216High Plains
Yoakum County35305716High Plains
Crosby County34343630High Plains
Deaf Smith County34354616High Plains
Garza County34314130High Plains
Schleicher County34304130Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Terry County34344816High Plains
Tom Green County34294530Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Andrews County33323830High Plains
Bandera County33284330Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Edwards County33284130Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Lynn County33303830High Plains
Martin County33314816High Plains
Ochiltree County33305016High Plains
Potter County33343430High Plains
Scurry County33313930High Plains
Sterling County33313930High Plains
Brown County32284030Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Concho County32284816Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Hansford County32314416High Plains
Lamb County32323330High Plains
Winkler County32323430High Plains
Crane County31265016Trans-Pecos desert
Ector County31333916High Plains
Kendall County31283730Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Maverick County31294616Edwards Plateau and Balcones
McCulloch County31313230Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Motley County31333916High Plains
Oldham County31314316High Plains
Reagan County31274716Trans-Pecos desert
Midland County30313030High Plains
Pecos County30273530Trans-Pecos desert
Ward County30274516Trans-Pecos desert
Coke County29292730Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Kinney County29292730Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Moore County29303716High Plains
Presidio County29274116Trans-Pecos desert
Real County29312530Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Reeves County29264316Trans-Pecos desert
Runnels County29283130Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Terrell County29253430Trans-Pecos desert
Zavala County29312730Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Armstrong County28303416High Plains
Carson County28303516High Plains
Hudspeth County28254116Trans-Pecos desert
Kimble County28282730Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Medina County28292530Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Sutton County28282530Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Upton County28264116Trans-Pecos desert
Culberson County27272530Trans-Pecos desert
Dallam County27332516High Plains
Hutchinson County27303016High Plains
Mason County27302230Edwards Plateau and Balcones
San Saba County27272530Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Frio County26283016Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Gillespie County26293016Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Hockley County26302916High Plains
Uvalde County26302916Edwards Plateau and Balcones
Bailey County25302516High Plains
Val Verde County25243216Trans-Pecos desert

Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.

The physiographic regions inside Texas

State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Texas and why each behaves the way it does.

Blackland Prairie and Black Belt

The foundation repair capital of the United States. These are Vertisols: clays so expansive that the ground itself opens fissures you can put an arm into during drought, then swells shut after rain. Slabs crack here in houses with faultless drainage, because water is not the mechanism — volume change is.

58 counties: Atascosa County, Bastrop County, Bell County, Bexar County, Blanco County, Bosque County, Burleson County, Burnet County, Caldwell County, Collin County, Colorado County, Comal County, Comanche County, Cooke County, Coryell County, Dallas County, DeWitt County, Denton County, Ellis County, Falls County, Fannin County, Fayette County, Freestone County, Goliad County, Gonzales County, Grayson County, Guadalupe County, Hamilton County, Hays County, Hill County, Hood County, Hunt County, Jackson County, Johnson County, Karnes County, Kaufman County, Lampasas County, Lavaca County, Lee County, Leon County, Limestone County, Llano County, Madison County, McLennan County, Milam County, Mills County, Montague County, Navarro County, Parker County, Robertson County, Rockwall County, Somervell County, Tarrant County, Travis County, Victoria County, Williamson County, Wilson County, Wise County

High Plains

The water table is tens of metres down and rainfall is low. Basement damp here is nearly always condensation or a failed supply line rather than groundwater — and that distinction is worth thousands of dollars.

46 counties: Andrews County, Armstrong County, Bailey County, Borden County, Briscoe County, Carson County, Castro County, Cochran County, Crosby County, Dallam County, Dawson County, Deaf Smith County, Dickens County, Ector County, Floyd County, Gaines County, Garza County, Glasscock County, Gray County, Hale County, Hansford County, Hartley County, Hockley County, Howard County, Hutchinson County, Lamb County, Loving County, Lubbock County, Lynn County, Martin County, Midland County, Mitchell County, Moore County, Motley County, Ochiltree County, Oldham County, Parmer County, Potter County, Randall County, Scurry County, Sherman County, Sterling County, Swisher County, Terry County, Winkler County, Yoakum County

Permian red beds

The red clay under Oklahoma City and Fort Worth. Strongly expansive, and because the climate swings between drought and heavy spring storms, the wet-dry cycle is severe. Pier-and-beam and post-tension slabs both move here.

34 counties: Archer County, Baylor County, Callahan County, Childress County, Clay County, Collingsworth County, Cottle County, Donley County, Eastland County, Erath County, Fisher County, Foard County, Hall County, Hardeman County, Haskell County, Hemphill County, Jack County, Jones County, Kent County, King County, Knox County, Lipscomb County, Nolan County, Palo Pinto County, Roberts County, Shackelford County, Stephens County, Stonewall County, Taylor County, Throckmorton County, Wheeler County, Wichita County, Wilbarger County, Young County

Gulf Coastal Plain

Extremely variable over short distances: deep sand on the ridges, saturated clay in the flats between them. High rainfall and a seasonally high water table make crawlspace and slab moisture the dominant complaint rather than structural movement.

30 counties: Anderson County, Angelina County, Bowie County, Camp County, Cass County, Cherokee County, Delta County, Franklin County, Gregg County, Harrison County, Henderson County, Hopkins County, Houston County, Lamar County, Marion County, Morris County, Nacogdoches County, Panola County, Rains County, Red River County, Rusk County, Sabine County, San Augustine County, Shelby County, Smith County, Titus County, Trinity County, Upshur County, Van Zandt County, Wood County

Edwards Plateau and Balcones

Rock close to the surface, so footings often bear directly on limestone — which does not move. The problem here is the opposite one: karst. Water moves through fissures in concentrated routes, and slabs poured over infilled solution features settle unevenly.

25 counties: Bandera County, Brown County, Coke County, Coleman County, Concho County, Edwards County, Frio County, Gillespie County, Kendall County, Kerr County, Kimble County, Kinney County, Mason County, Maverick County, McCulloch County, Medina County, Menard County, Real County, Runnels County, San Saba County, Schleicher County, Sutton County, Tom Green County, Uvalde County, Zavala County

Texas Gulf Coast prairie

Highly expansive clay and a shallow water table on ground with essentially no slope. Houston is the largest single market for residential foundation repair in the country and this soil is why. Add regional subsidence from groundwater withdrawal and the movement is not always the house's fault.

23 counties: Austin County, Brazoria County, Brazos County, Chambers County, Fort Bend County, Galveston County, Grimes County, Hardin County, Harris County, Jasper County, Jefferson County, Liberty County, Matagorda County, Montgomery County, Newton County, Orange County, Polk County, San Jacinto County, Tyler County, Walker County, Waller County, Washington County, Wharton County

South Texas Plains

Expansive clay in a dry climate, which is the combination that produces the sharpest wet-dry cycle. Long droughts shrink the profile hard, then one wet season swells it back. Footings move seasonally and the movement is not uniform across a slab.

22 counties: Aransas County, Bee County, Brooks County, Calhoun County, Cameron County, Dimmit County, Duval County, Hidalgo County, Jim Hogg County, Jim Wells County, Kenedy County, Kleberg County, La Salle County, Live Oak County, McMullen County, Nueces County, Refugio County, San Patricio County, Starr County, Webb County, Willacy County, Zapata County

Trans-Pecos desert

Arid, deep water table, minimal seepage risk. Two local hazards instead: gypsum, which dissolves and leaves voids, and collapsible fan deposits that settle abruptly the first time they are thoroughly wetted — often by a leaking irrigation line.

16 counties: Brewster County, Crane County, Crockett County, Culberson County, El Paso County, Hudspeth County, Irion County, Jeff Davis County, Pecos County, Presidio County, Reagan County, Reeves County, Terrell County, Upton County, Val Verde County, Ward County

Page data updated