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Ripley County, Indiana

A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Ripley County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

77%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

53%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Ripley County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.6%
High water table (limits basements)76.7%
Septic fields very limited98.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.4%
Mapped soil286,791 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Cobbsfork25%n/a
Avonburg16%n/a
Cincinnati11%n/a
Nabb11%n/a
Hickory9%n/a
Eden4%0%
Dearborn County: 36%Decatur County: 86%Ohio County: 28%Jennings County: 76%Switzerland County: 40%Franklin County: 53%Jefferson County: 56%Boone County: 29%Ripley County DearbornDecaturOhioJenningsSwitzerlandFranklinJeffersonBooneRipley
Ripley County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas IN137 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

On 77% of Ripley 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: 50.52 in, 3.22 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 47.30 in.

USDA rates 98% 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 worse34%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

16 flood losses since 2016, $77,958 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 11.

YearFlood losses
20162
20170
20180
20190
20200
202111
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.30 in
12 months to August 202650.52 in (+3.22)
202547.90 in (+0.60)
Wettest year since 18952011: 61.57 in
Driest year since 18951934: 25.42 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at N VERNON 2 ESE (19 mi away)12.6

Homes

Housing units12,461
Median year built1978
Built before 198053%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$222,500
Single-family detached79%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Dearborn County, IN 16 mi 38% 36%
Decatur County, IN 19 mi 4% 86%
Ohio County, IN 19 mi 40% 28%
Jennings County, IN 21 mi 5% 76%
Switzerland County, IN 23 mi 41% 40%
Franklin County, IN 24 mi 15% 53%
Jefferson County, IN 24 mi 13% 56%
Boone County, KY 30 mi 7% 29%

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