Washington County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Washington County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 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 Washington County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 53.3% |
| Mapped soil | 330,624 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN175 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 53% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 31% of Washington 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: 50.23 in, 1.68 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 48.55 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 72.1% of its area, on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 44.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $807,764 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.23 in (+1.68) |
| 2025 | 51.54 in (+2.99) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 63.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 30.09 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAOLI (21 mi away) | 14.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,222 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, IN | 20 mi | 2% | 76% |
| Orange County, IN | 21 mi | 13% | 24% |
| Jackson County, IN | 22 mi | 4% | 60% |
| Floyd County, IN | 22 mi | 27% | 20% |
| Clark County, IN | 23 mi | 13% | 44% |
| Lawrence County, IN | 26 mi | 26% | 20% |
| Crawford County, IN | 28 mi | 9% | 26% |
| Harrison County, IN | 29 mi | 53% | 17% |
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