Newton County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Newton County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Newton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 88.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.8% |
| Mapped soil | 258,080 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Granby | 15% | n/a |
| Selma | 12% | n/a |
| Darroch | 7% | n/a |
| Oakville | 6% | n/a |
| Morocco | 4% | n/a |
| Zadog | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN111 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 88% of Newton 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: 35.22 in, 4.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.46 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 70.3% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 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
10 flood losses since 2016, $165,095 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.46 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.22 in (-4.24) |
| 2025 | 31.23 in (-8.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 53.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1914: 24.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RENSSELAER (12 mi away) | 9.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,093 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,500 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County, IN | 15 mi | 5% | 86% |
| Benton County, IN | 25 mi | 2% | 95% |
| Kankakee County, IL | 27 mi | 19% | 80% |
| Iroquois County, IL | 27 mi | 44% | 93% |
| White County, IN | 32 mi | under 1% | 81% |
| Lake County, IN | 35 mi | 16% | 77% |
| Pulaski County, IN | 37 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Porter County, IN | 42 mi | 7% | 70% |
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