Ashland County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 63% of Ashland County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Ashland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 272,864 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wooster | 17% | 57% |
| Bennington | 12% | 99% |
| Centerburg | 9% | over 99% |
| Canfield | 8% | over 99% |
| Rittman | 7% | 99% |
| Chili | 5% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas OH005 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 63% of Ashland 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: 36.83 in, 3.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.98 in.
USDA rates 98% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
6 flood losses since 2016, $69,360 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.83 in (-3.15) |
| 2025 | 36.91 in (-3.07) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 53.68 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 23.62 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MANSFIELD LAHM MUNI AP (13 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 22,568 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $186,800 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Ashland County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland | 1% | 81% | 8,985 |
| Bailey Lakes | 9% | 71% | 141 |
| Hayesville | under 1% | 68% | 212 |
| Jeromesville | 0% | 39% | 241 |
| Loudonville | 1% | 21% | 1,515 |
| Mifflin | 5% | 27% | 107 |
| Perrysville | under 1% | 30% | 355 |
| Polk | under 1% | 97% | 133 |
| Savannah | under 1% | 68% | 140 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County, OH | 15 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Wayne County, OH | 20 mi | 2% | 66% |
| Holmes County, OH | 26 mi | under 1% | 62% |
| Huron County, OH | 27 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Medina County, OH | 27 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Knox County, OH | 31 mi | under 1% | 65% |
| Crawford County, OH | 34 mi | 3% | 93% |
| Morrow County, OH | 35 mi | 9% | 87% |
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