Noble County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of Noble County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 48 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Noble County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.9% |
| Mapped soil | 267,123 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN113 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 72% of Noble 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: 35.71 in, 2.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.82 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 89.8% of its area, on the October 14, 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
48 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 37. Median water depth outside the building: 13.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 37 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.82 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.71 in (-2.11) |
| 2025 | 30.30 in (-7.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1954: 51.18 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 24.28 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GARRETT 1 S (16 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,297 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $196,800 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaGrange County, IN | 16 mi | 3% | 39% |
| Whitley County, IN | 19 mi | 29% | 91% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 21 mi | 20% | 88% |
| Kosciusko County, IN | 26 mi | 5% | 52% |
| Elkhart County, IN | 27 mi | 1% | 54% |
| Steuben County, IN | 27 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Allen County, IN | 28 mi | 38% | 88% |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 35 mi | 0% | 28% |
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