Orange County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 24% of Orange County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Orange County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 23.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 34.5% |
| Mapped soil | 261,376 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN117 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 24% of Orange 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: 51.25 in, 1.69 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 49.56 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 72% of its area, on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 1.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $16,077 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.25 in (+1.69) |
| 2025 | 55.41 in (+5.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 65.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 29.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAOLI (1 mi away) | 14.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,101 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $158,700 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County, IN | 18 mi | 9% | 26% |
| Martin County, IN | 20 mi | 3% | 30% |
| Lawrence County, IN | 20 mi | 26% | 20% |
| Washington County, IN | 21 mi | 16% | 31% |
| Dubois County, IN | 24 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Harrison County, IN | 32 mi | 53% | 17% |
| Perry County, IN | 33 mi | 27% | 48% |
| Daviess County, IN | 33 mi | 5% | 64% |
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