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Ashland, Ohio
Inside Ashland's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 81% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 9 cities in Ashland County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%, the 3rd-highest of 9 cities in Ashland County.
That water-table share is above Ashland County's 63%. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44805 overlapping the city. Of its 8,985 homes, 74% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1959.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ashland 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 Ashland
Basement waterproofing in Ashland: a shallow water table limits basements on 81% of Ashland's mapped land, more than in 67% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Ashland logged 4 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
About 6,000 of Ashland's 8,985 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Ashland city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 81.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.4% |
| Mapped soil | 7,433 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 81% of Ashland's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Ashland County
0% of Ashland 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 Ashland. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44805 | 100% | 4 | $33,087 |
Homes in Ashland
| Housing units | 8,985 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,900 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey Lakes | 6 mi | 9% | 71% |
| Hayesville | 7 mi | under 1% | 68% |
| Mifflin | 7 mi | 5% | 27% |
| Savannah | 8 mi | under 1% | 68% |
| Jeromesville | 8 mi | 0% | 39% |
| Polk | 8 mi | under 1% | 97% |
| Lucas | 13 mi | 1% | 34% |
| West Salem | 13 mi | under 1% | 92% |
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