Morgan County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 59% of Morgan County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 19 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 Morgan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 59.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 261,914 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN109 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 59% of Morgan 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: 44.70 in, 0.08 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.78 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 9.7% 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
19 flood losses since 2016, $319,845 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.70 in (-0.08) |
| 2025 | 43.96 in (-0.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 55.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 29.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARTINSVILLE 2 SW (5 mi away) | 11.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 30,046 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $237,600 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, IN | 19 mi | 1% | 76% |
| Hendricks County, IN | 20 mi | 14% | 84% |
| Monroe County, IN | 23 mi | 9% | 20% |
| Brown County, IN | 23 mi | 1% | 21% |
| Owen County, IN | 24 mi | 4% | 49% |
| Putnam County, IN | 25 mi | 2% | 65% |
| Marion County, IN | 27 mi | 4% | 52% |
| Shelby County, IN | 35 mi | 2% | 81% |
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