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Ohio County, Indiana

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 40% of Ohio County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties and the 9th highest of 92 Indiana counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 28%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

40%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

52%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Ohio County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)40.0%
High water table (limits basements)28.2%
Septic fields very limited96.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)49.2%
Mapped soil55,795 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Eden36%6%
Carmel13%n/a
Weisburg9%n/a
Switzerland8%n/a
Pate5%n/a
Bonnell4%n/a
Switzerland County: 41%Boone County: 7%Gallatin County: 11%Dearborn County: 38%Ripley County: 5%Carroll County: 17%Kenton County: 14%Grant County: 23%Ohio County SwitzerlandBooneGallatinDearbornRipleyCarrollKentonGrantOhio
Ohio County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas IN115 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% by land area here, and 49% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 40% of the mapped land.

On 28% of Ohio 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: 48.00 in, 1.16 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 46.84 in.

USDA rates 97% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $3,373 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.84 in
12 months to August 202648.00 in (+1.16)
202548.81 in (+1.97)
Wettest year since 18952011: 66.56 in
Driest year since 18951934: 23.32 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARSAW MARKLAND DAM (11 mi away)12.2

Homes

Housing units2,769
Median year built1978
Built before 198052%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$213,100
Single-family detached81%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Switzerland County, IN 9 mi 41% 40%
Boone County, KY 12 mi 7% 29%
Gallatin County, KY 14 mi 11% 10%
Dearborn County, IN 14 mi 38% 36%
Ripley County, IN 19 mi 5% 77%
Carroll County, KY 21 mi 17% 9%
Kenton County, KY 23 mi 14% 26%
Grant County, KY 27 mi 23% 9%

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