Blackford County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Blackford County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 92 Indiana counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Blackford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 62.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 96.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 40.3% |
| Mapped soil | 106,022 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN009 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 40% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
On 96% of Blackford County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 38.51 in, 2.57 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.08 in.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Blackford County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.08 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.51 in (-2.57) |
| 2025 | 31.74 in (-9.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 53.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 25.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HARTFORD CITY 4 ESE (3 mi away) | 9.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,853 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,500 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jay County, IN | 17 mi | 60% | 96% |
| Delaware County, IN | 17 mi | 39% | 86% |
| Grant County, IN | 18 mi | 43% | 93% |
| Wells County, IN | 19 mi | 55% | 93% |
| Huntington County, IN | 26 mi | 30% | 93% |
| Randolph County, IN | 27 mi | 25% | 94% |
| Adams County, IN | 28 mi | 45% | 97% |
| Madison County, IN | 30 mi | 11% | 90% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status