DeKalb County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of DeKalb County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 DeKalb County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 88.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 18.4% |
| Mapped soil | 232,851 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN033 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 18% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
On 88% of DeKalb 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: 33.05 in, 4.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.41 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the December 23, 2025 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
3 flood losses since 2016, $68,310 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.05 in (-4.36) |
| 2025 | 31.18 in (-6.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 49.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 24.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GARRETT 1 S (7 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,384 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $194,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steuben County, IN | 17 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Allen County, IN | 21 mi | 38% | 88% |
| Noble County, IN | 21 mi | 9% | 72% |
| Williams County, OH | 25 mi | 22% | 95% |
| Defiance County, OH | 27 mi | 49% | 92% |
| LaGrange County, IN | 28 mi | 3% | 39% |
| Paulding County, OH | 29 mi | 70% | 96% |
| Whitley County, IN | 32 mi | 29% | 91% |
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