Marion County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of Marion County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 238 flood losses here since 2016, 31% of them in buildings with basements. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Marion County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 52.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 25.8% |
| Mapped soil | 257,818 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN097 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 52% of Marion 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: 42.41 in, 0.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.37 in.
USDA rates 65% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 88.4% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the November 18, 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
238 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 124. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 31% basements, 22% slabs, 24% crawl spaces, 23% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 37 |
| 2017 | 23 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 16 |
| 2026 to date | 124 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.37 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.41 in (-0.96) |
| 2025 | 36.80 in (-6.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 54.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 26.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INDIANAPOLIS (9 mi away) | 10.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 441,040 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 56% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $224,000 |
| Single-family detached | 59% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, IN | 19 mi | 4% | 96% |
| Hamilton County, IN | 20 mi | 5% | 81% |
| Hendricks County, IN | 20 mi | 14% | 84% |
| Johnson County, IN | 20 mi | 1% | 76% |
| Shelby County, IN | 26 mi | 2% | 81% |
| Boone County, IN | 26 mi | 26% | 93% |
| Morgan County, IN | 27 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Madison County, IN | 34 mi | 11% | 90% |
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