Kosciusko County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of Kosciusko County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 44 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Kosciusko County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 52.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.9% |
| Mapped soil | 354,854 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Crosier | 10% | n/a |
| Ormas | 8% | n/a |
| Wawasee | 7% | n/a |
| Riddles | 7% | n/a |
| Kosciusko | 7% | n/a |
| Barry | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN085 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 52% of Kosciusko 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: 39.75 in, 0.74 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 39.01 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 22 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 34.2% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the October 14, 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
44 flood losses since 2016, $772,160 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 19. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 24% slabs, 64% crawl spaces, 8% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 14 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.01 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.75 in (+0.74) |
| 2025 | 32.38 in (-6.63) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 52.94 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 26.71 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARSAW 5SW (6 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 38,864 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $216,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley County, IN | 20 mi | 29% | 91% |
| Marshall County, IN | 22 mi | 1% | 58% |
| Elkhart County, IN | 25 mi | 1% | 54% |
| Fulton County, IN | 25 mi | under 1% | 64% |
| Noble County, IN | 26 mi | 9% | 72% |
| Wabash County, IN | 28 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Miami County, IN | 34 mi | 21% | 80% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 34 mi | 1% | 52% |
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