Miami County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Miami County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
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 Miami County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.1% |
| Mapped soil | 241,440 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN103 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 3% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
On 80% of Miami 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: 39.89 in, 0.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.62 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the March 17, 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
3 flood losses since 2016, $14,508 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.62 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.89 in (-0.73) |
| 2025 | 32.06 in (-8.56) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 52.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 25.62 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PERU (2 mi away) | 9.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,952 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $126,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wabash County, IN | 14 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Cass County, IN | 16 mi | 6% | 65% |
| Howard County, IN | 20 mi | 22% | 93% |
| Fulton County, IN | 22 mi | under 1% | 64% |
| Grant County, IN | 27 mi | 43% | 93% |
| Huntington County, IN | 30 mi | 30% | 93% |
| Carroll County, IN | 30 mi | 5% | 71% |
| Tipton County, IN | 32 mi | 42% | 98% |
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