Martin County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Martin County's mapped land. 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 4 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Martin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.7% |
| Mapped soil | 217,888 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wellston | 36% | under 1% |
| Adyeville | 11% | n/a |
| Tipsaw | 9% | n/a |
| Apalona | 7% | n/a |
| Zanesville | 5% | 97% |
| Wakeland | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN101 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Martin 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: 50.08 in, 0.64 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 49.44 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 16.7% of its area, on the March 3, 2026 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
4 flood losses since 2016, $79,751 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.08 in (+0.64) |
| 2025 | 54.86 in (+5.42) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 62.99 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 30.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILLIAMS 3 SW (8 mi away) | 14.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,583 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,400 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daviess County, IN | 15 mi | 5% | 64% |
| Lawrence County, IN | 19 mi | 26% | 20% |
| Orange County, IN | 20 mi | 13% | 24% |
| Dubois County, IN | 23 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Greene County, IN | 26 mi | 9% | 52% |
| Pike County, IN | 32 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Knox County, IN | 33 mi | 8% | 46% |
| Crawford County, IN | 35 mi | 9% | 26% |
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