LaGrange County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of LaGrange County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 LaGrange County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.8% |
| Mapped soil | 247,559 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Boyer | 14% | n/a |
| Oshtemo | 12% | 0% |
| Wawasee | 9% | n/a |
| Hillsdale | 6% | n/a |
| Houghton | 5% | n/a |
| Rensselaer | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN087 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 39% of LaGrange 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: 37.95 in, 0.33 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 37.62 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 92.9% of its area, 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
19 flood losses since 2016, $460,237 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 17.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.62 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.95 in (+0.33) |
| 2025 | 32.72 in (-4.90) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1954: 50.71 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 22.46 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ANGOLA (21 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,151 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $255,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noble County, IN | 16 mi | 9% | 72% |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 19 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Steuben County, IN | 22 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Elkhart County, IN | 23 mi | 1% | 54% |
| Branch County, MI | 27 mi | under 1% | 61% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 28 mi | 20% | 88% |
| Cass County, MI | 35 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Whitley County, IN | 35 mi | 29% | 91% |
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