Vanderburgh County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 71% of Vanderburgh County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% 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 73 flood losses here since 2016, 21% of them in buildings with basements. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Vanderburgh County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.9% |
| Mapped soil | 151,123 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hosmer | 20% | over 99% |
| Alford | 7% | n/a |
| Wellston | 6% | under 1% |
| Huntington | 6% | n/a |
| Zanesville | 5% | 97% |
| Weinbach | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas IN163 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 71% of Vanderburgh 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: 42.56 in, 5.49 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.05 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 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the April 21, 2026 map.
| 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
73 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 32. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 21% basements, 17% slabs, 19% crawl spaces, 44% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 26 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 28 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 32 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.05 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.56 in (-5.49) |
| 2025 | 48.74 in (+0.69) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 70.28 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 29.08 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EVANSVILLE REGIONAL AP (4 mi away) | 12.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 85,319 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $184,000 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Posey County, IN | 15 mi | 4% | 54% |
| Henderson County, KY | 16 mi | 5% | 63% |
| Warrick County, IN | 18 mi | 6% | 60% |
| Gibson County, IN | 21 mi | 4% | 62% |
| Spencer County, IN | 31 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Union County, KY | 32 mi | 4% | 53% |
| Pike County, IN | 32 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Wabash County, IL | 32 mi | 14% | 74% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status