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White County, Indiana

A shallow water table limits basements on 81% of White County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 31 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

81%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

69%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under White County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.1%
High water table (limits basements)81.2%
Septic fields very limited96.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.1%
Mapped soil325,536 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rensselaer14%n/a
Gilford11%n/a
Wolcott11%n/a
Maumee6%n/a
Martinsville5%n/a
Pella5%n/a
Carroll County: 71%Pulaski County: 90%Jasper County: 86%Tippecanoe County: 64%Benton County: 95%Cass County: 65%Newton County: 88%Clinton County: 94%White County CarrollPulaskiJasperTippecanoeBentonCassNewtonClintonWhite
White 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 IN181 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 81% of White 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: 38.18 in, 2.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.32 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. Part of the county was in drought in 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

31 flood losses since 2016, $629,784 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 25. Median water depth outside the building: 19 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201825
20190
20200
20210
20220
20231
20243
20250
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202040.32 in
12 months to August 202638.18 in (-2.14)
202528.57 in (-11.75)
Wettest year since 18951909: 51.48 in
Driest year since 18951914: 24.96 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHALMERS 5 W (8 mi away)9.4

Homes

Housing units12,961
Median year built1969
Built before 198069%
Built 2000 or later12%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$175,900
Single-family detached80%

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
Carroll County, IN 19 mi 5% 71%
Pulaski County, IN 22 mi 2% 90%
Jasper County, IN 23 mi 5% 86%
Tippecanoe County, IN 25 mi 1% 64%
Benton County, IN 26 mi 2% 95%
Cass County, IN 27 mi 6% 65%
Newton County, IN 32 mi 4% 88%
Clinton County, IN 37 mi 10% 94%

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