Lake County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Lake County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 122 flood losses here since 2016, 88% of them in buildings with basements. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Lake County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 11.4% |
| Mapped soil | 323,456 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN089 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.9% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 77% of Lake 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: 42.21 in, 2.99 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 39.22 in.
USDA rates 84% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
122 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 38. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 88% basements, 5% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 3% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 6 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 35 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 38 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.21 in (+2.99) |
| 2025 | 33.12 in (-6.10) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 52.14 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1899: 24.80 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LOWELL (15 mi away) | 9.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 217,436 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $230,600 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porter County, IN | 16 mi | 7% | 70% |
| Will County, IL | 31 mi | 24% | 85% |
| Cook County, IL | 32 mi | 25% | 59% |
| LaPorte County, IN | 33 mi | under 1% | 52% |
| Jasper County, IN | 34 mi | 5% | 86% |
| Kankakee County, IL | 34 mi | 19% | 80% |
| Newton County, IN | 35 mi | 4% | 88% |
| Berrien County, MI | 39 mi | 0% | 51% |
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