Montgomery County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Montgomery County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
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. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Montgomery County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 77.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 323,520 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN107 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 1% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
On 77% of Montgomery 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: 41.12 in, 1.60 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.72 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently 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, $12,414 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.12 in (-1.60) |
| 2025 | 34.04 in (-8.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 53.10 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 27.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CRAWFORDSVILLE 6 SE (5 mi away) | 10.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,585 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain County, IN | 19 mi | 8% | 64% |
| Boone County, IN | 22 mi | 26% | 93% |
| Tippecanoe County, IN | 24 mi | 1% | 64% |
| Parke County, IN | 24 mi | 1% | 42% |
| Putnam County, IN | 26 mi | 2% | 65% |
| Hendricks County, IN | 27 mi | 14% | 84% |
| Clinton County, IN | 29 mi | 10% | 94% |
| Vermillion County, IN | 33 mi | 6% | 50% |
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