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Arcanum, Ohio
Inside Arcanum's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 100% of mapped land, the highest of 18 cities in Darke County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34%, the 3rd-highest of 18 cities in Darke County.
That water-table share is close to Darke County's 96%. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45304 overlapping the city. Of its 1,151 homes, 64% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1968.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Darke County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Arcanum
Basement waterproofing in Arcanum: a shallow water table limits basements on 100% of Arcanum's mapped land, more than in 98% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Arcanum logged 4 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
About 900 of Arcanum's 1,151 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Arcanum city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 33.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 100.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 100.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.3% |
| Mapped soil | 795 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 3% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
On 100% of Arcanum's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 100% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Darke County
0% of Darke County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Arcanum. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45304 | 100% | 4 | $22,351 |
Homes in Arcanum
| Housing units | 1,151 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $148,700 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitsburg | 4 mi | 12% | over 99% |
| Gordon | 5 mi | 45% | 100% |
| Castine | 6 mi | 20% | over 99% |
| Wayne Lakes | 6 mi | under 1% | 14% |
| Verona | 7 mi | 28% | 97% |
| West Manchester | 7 mi | 24% | 91% |
| Potsdam | 8 mi | 24% | 100% |
| Laura | 8 mi | 6% | 97% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status