Adams County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 27% of Adams County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Adams County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 27.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.4% |
| Mapped soil | 375,078 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH001 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 27% of Adams 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: 46.07 in, 0.28 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 45.79 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 19.4% of its area, on the May 12, 2026 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
8 flood losses since 2016, $77,746 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.79 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.07 in (+0.28) |
| 2025 | 48.86 in (+3.07) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 62.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W UNION 6 ENE (3 mi away) | 10.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,733 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $164,200 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Adams County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | under 1% | 37% | 1,077 |
| Peebles | 40% | 34% | 869 |
| Seaman | 0% | 75% | 490 |
| West Union | 41% | 41% | 1,347 |
| Winchester | 0% | 63% | 560 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County, KY | 21 mi | 1% | 13% |
| Brown County, OH | 22 mi | 11% | 68% |
| Highland County, OH | 25 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Mason County, KY | 25 mi | 43% | 5% |
| Scioto County, OH | 26 mi | 8% | 34% |
| Pike County, OH | 28 mi | 17% | 54% |
| Fleming County, KY | 34 mi | 21% | 12% |
| Greenup County, KY | 35 mi | 27% | 34% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status