Howard County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 93% of Howard County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Howard County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 92.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 188,154 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN067 (2025-09-17)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.4% by land area here, and 1% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
On 93% of Howard 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: 39.93 in, 1.70 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.63 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 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
20 flood losses since 2016, $754,930 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.93 in (-1.70) |
| 2025 | 32.67 in (-8.96) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 53.44 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 25.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KOKOMO 3 WSW (4 mi away) | 10.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 39,876 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,000 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tipton County, IN | 12 mi | 42% | 98% |
| Miami County, IN | 20 mi | 21% | 80% |
| Cass County, IN | 23 mi | 6% | 65% |
| Clinton County, IN | 23 mi | 10% | 94% |
| Grant County, IN | 24 mi | 43% | 93% |
| Carroll County, IN | 25 mi | 5% | 71% |
| Wabash County, IN | 30 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Hamilton County, IN | 30 mi | 5% | 81% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 17, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status