Switzerland County, Indiana
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 41% of Switzerland County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties and the 8th highest of 92 Indiana counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 40%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 26 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
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 Switzerland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 41.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 50.6% |
| Mapped soil | 143,104 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Eden | 38% | 6% |
| Switzerland | 11% | n/a |
| Weisburg | 10% | n/a |
| Cincinnati | 8% | n/a |
| Bonnell | 5% | n/a |
| Carmel | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN155 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 51% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 41% of the mapped land.
On 40% of Switzerland 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: 47.99 in, 0.18 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 47.81 in.
USDA rates 96% 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.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
26 flood losses since 2016, $682,720 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 12. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 10% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 75% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.99 in (+0.18) |
| 2025 | 48.37 in (+0.56) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 65.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 23.92 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARSAW MARKLAND DAM (5 mi away) | 12.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,456 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,800 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio County, IN | 9 mi | 40% | 28% |
| Gallatin County, KY | 10 mi | 11% | 10% |
| Carroll County, KY | 12 mi | 17% | 9% |
| Boone County, KY | 18 mi | 7% | 29% |
| Dearborn County, IN | 22 mi | 38% | 36% |
| Jefferson County, IN | 22 mi | 13% | 56% |
| Trimble County, KY | 22 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Ripley County, IN | 23 mi | 5% | 77% |
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