Brown County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Brown County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 35 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Brown County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.5% |
| Mapped soil | 202,490 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN013 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 21% of Brown 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: 50.19 in, 2.78 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 47.41 in.
USDA rates 98% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
35 flood losses since 2016, $1.4 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 21. Median water depth outside the building: 21 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.19 in (+2.78) |
| 2025 | 48.88 in (+1.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2006: 59.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 30.39 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BLOOMINGTON INDIANA UNIV (16 mi away) | 13.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,577 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $269,100 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, IN | 16 mi | 9% | 20% |
| Bartholomew County, IN | 18 mi | 4% | 67% |
| Jackson County, IN | 22 mi | 4% | 60% |
| Johnson County, IN | 22 mi | 1% | 76% |
| Morgan County, IN | 23 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Lawrence County, IN | 28 mi | 26% | 20% |
| Shelby County, IN | 33 mi | 2% | 81% |
| Owen County, IN | 34 mi | 4% | 49% |
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