Wayne County, Indiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of Wayne County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 54 flood losses here since 2016, 47% of them in buildings with basements. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Wayne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 258,682 acres |
How we count · survey areas IN177 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 72% of Wayne 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: 52.26 in, 8.59 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 43.67 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 46.4% of its area, on the October 21, 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
54 flood losses since 2016, $874,933 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 41. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 47% basements, 26% slabs, 23% crawl spaces, 4% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 41 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 52.26 in (+8.59) |
| 2025 | 42.76 in (-0.91) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 57.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 23.74 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RICHMOND WTR WKS (7 mi away) | 10.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 30,736 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, IN | 17 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Fayette County, IN | 18 mi | 2% | 41% |
| Randolph County, IN | 21 mi | 25% | 94% |
| Preble County, OH | 21 mi | 17% | 86% |
| Henry County, IN | 21 mi | 11% | 87% |
| Darke County, OH | 27 mi | 26% | 96% |
| Rush County, IN | 30 mi | 17% | 87% |
| Franklin County, IN | 32 mi | 15% | 53% |
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