Travis County, TX Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Travis County, TX
High
Soil across 49.1% of Travis County, TX comes back "High" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 6.52% linear extensibility. Ground like this needs active moisture control to keep a conventional foundation from cracking - it's not automatic either way.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Travis County, TX - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Travis County will actually do.
Travis County: the real numbers
With Travis County, TX rating "High", the gap between finding out early and finding out late is the whole decision. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000 (typically $2,700); an actual foundation repair, once cracking sets in, typically runs $5,000-$15,000 (around $10,000 typical) - roughly 4x the report.
Where this sits nationally
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Travis County, TX ranks 89 most-constrained nationally, and 33 of 253 within Texas. The county spans 994 square miles, home to 1,363,767 people.
Before you act on this
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Morton County, KS and Sussex County, NJ are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · The warning signs of expansive-clay damage, explained
Elsewhere in Texas
Every county in Texas is on this site, including Moore County, TX and Childress County, TX. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.