Owen County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Owen County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% 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 17 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Owen County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.9% |
| Mapped soil | 248,224 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory | 10% | n/a |
| Ava | 7% | n/a |
| Solsberry | 5% | n/a |
| Stinesville | 5% | n/a |
| Cincinnati | 4% | n/a |
| Wellston | 3% | under 1% |
How we count · survey areas IN119 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Owen 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: 46.44 in, 0.08 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.52 in.
USDA rates 77% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 9% of its area, on the October 28, 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
17 flood losses since 2016, $410,938 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.52 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.44 in (-0.08) |
| 2025 | 46.63 in (+0.11) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 58.22 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1914: 29.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SPENCER (4 mi away) | 13.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,918 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, IN | 16 mi | 2% | 69% |
| Monroe County, IN | 20 mi | 9% | 20% |
| Greene County, IN | 21 mi | 9% | 52% |
| Morgan County, IN | 24 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Putnam County, IN | 24 mi | 2% | 65% |
| Vigo County, IN | 31 mi | 1% | 58% |
| Brown County, IN | 34 mi | 1% | 21% |
| Sullivan County, IN | 35 mi | 2% | 61% |
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