Delaware County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Delaware County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 39%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 78 flood losses here since 2016, 25% of them in buildings with basements. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Delaware County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 39.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.5% |
| Mapped soil | 253,459 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN035 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 2% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 39% of the mapped land.
On 86% of Delaware 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: 41.96 in, 0.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.02 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 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
78 flood losses since 2016, $1.4 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 59. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 25% basements, 31% slabs, 38% crawl spaces, 6% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 18.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 59 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.96 in (-0.06) |
| 2025 | 32.77 in (-9.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 55.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 25.29 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MUNCIE DELAWARE CO AP (1 mi away) | 9.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 51,635 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $139,400 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackford County, IN | 17 mi | 63% | 96% |
| Madison County, IN | 18 mi | 11% | 90% |
| Henry County, IN | 21 mi | 11% | 87% |
| Randolph County, IN | 21 mi | 25% | 94% |
| Grant County, IN | 24 mi | 43% | 93% |
| Jay County, IN | 25 mi | 60% | 96% |
| Wayne County, IN | 32 mi | 10% | 72% |
| Hancock County, IN | 34 mi | 4% | 96% |
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