Henry County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Henry County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 22 flood losses here since 2016, 10% of them in buildings with basements. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
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 Henry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.9% |
| Mapped soil | 252,499 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN065 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 87% of Henry 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: 50.63 in, 6.35 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 44.28 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. Part of the county was in drought in 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.2% of its area, on the October 28, 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
22 flood losses since 2016, $520,677 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 17. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% basements, 29% slabs, 62% crawl spaces.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 17 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.63 in (+6.35) |
| 2025 | 37.37 in (-6.91) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 59.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 24.49 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEW CASTLE 3 SW (2 mi away) | 10.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,996 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $154,400 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County, IN | 21 mi | 39% | 86% |
| Hancock County, IN | 21 mi | 4% | 96% |
| Rush County, IN | 21 mi | 17% | 87% |
| Wayne County, IN | 21 mi | 10% | 72% |
| Fayette County, IN | 23 mi | 2% | 41% |
| Madison County, IN | 24 mi | 11% | 90% |
| Randolph County, IN | 27 mi | 25% | 94% |
| Union County, IN | 33 mi | 1% | 53% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status