Marshall County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 58% of Marshall County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 21 flood losses here since 2016. 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 Marshall County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 287,885 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Riddles | 12% | n/a |
| Crosier | 11% | n/a |
| Oshtemo | 11% | 0% |
| Rensselaer | 10% | n/a |
| Brookston | 7% | n/a |
| Houghton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN099 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 58% of Marshall 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: 43.47 in, 3.64 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 39.83 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
21 flood losses since 2016, $726,640 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 18.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 18 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.83 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.47 in (+3.64) |
| 2025 | 35.02 in (-4.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 55.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1925: 27.26 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLYMOUTH (4 mi away) | 9.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,111 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $204,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, IN | 19 mi | under 1% | 64% |
| Starke County, IN | 20 mi | 0% | 84% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 20 mi | 1% | 52% |
| Kosciusko County, IN | 22 mi | 5% | 52% |
| Elkhart County, IN | 28 mi | 1% | 54% |
| LaPorte County, IN | 29 mi | under 1% | 52% |
| Pulaski County, IN | 29 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Cass County, IN | 40 mi | 6% | 65% |
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