Ashtabula County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Ashtabula County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Ashtabula County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.8% |
| Mapped soil | 455,104 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mill | 28% | n/a |
| Platea | 17% | n/a |
| Darien | 13% | n/a |
| Wick | 4% | n/a |
| Conneaut | 3% | 99% |
| Venango | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OH007 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 89% of Ashtabula 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: 41.75 in, 1.51 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.26 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 80.1% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 99.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $274,715 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.75 in (-1.51) |
| 2025 | 39.59 in (-3.67) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 62.35 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 26.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DORSET (16 mi away) | 8.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 46,477 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,500 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Ashtabula County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andover | 0% | 96% | 463 |
| Ashtabula | 0% | 49% | 9,014 |
| Conneaut | 0% | 65% | 5,447 |
| Geneva | 0% | 58% | 2,698 |
| Geneva-on-the-Lake | 0% | 80% | 1,188 |
| Jefferson | 0% | 95% | 1,705 |
| North Kingsville | 0% | 55% | 1,315 |
| Orwell | 0% | over 99% | 846 |
| Roaming Shores | 0% | 74% | 1,060 |
| Rock Creek | 4% | 96% | 325 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, OH | 25 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Geauga County, OH | 36 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Crawford County, PA | 36 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Erie County, PA | 36 mi | 0% | 82% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 42 mi | under 1% | 77% |
| Mercer County, PA | 49 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 51 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Portage County, OH | 56 mi | 3% | 78% |
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