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Ashtabula, Ohio
Inside Ashtabula's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 49% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
That water-table share is below Ashtabula County's 89%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44004 overlapping the city. Of its 9,014 homes, 86% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1949.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ashtabula 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 Ashtabula
Basement waterproofing in Ashtabula: a shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Ashtabula's mapped land, and the ZIP code overlapping Ashtabula logged 3 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
About 6,400 of Ashtabula's 9,014 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Ashtabula city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 51.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 22.9% |
| Mapped soil | 4,964 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Conneaut | 29% | 99% |
| Red Hook | 4% | n/a |
| Elnora | 3% | n/a |
| Gageville | 3% | n/a |
| Platea | 3% | n/a |
| Colonie | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Ashtabula's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 52% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Ashtabula County
0% of Ashtabula 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 Ashtabula. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44004 | 100% | 3 | $63,472 |
Homes in Ashtabula
| Housing units | 9,014 |
| Median year built | 1949 |
| Built before 1980 | 86% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $105,900 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Kingsville | 7 mi | 0% | 55% |
| Geneva-on-the-Lake | 8 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Geneva | 9 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Jefferson | 10 mi | 0% | 95% |
| Conneaut | 12 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Madison | 15 mi | 0% | 76% |
| Rock Creek | 15 mi | 4% | 96% |
| Roaming Shores | 17 mi | 0% | 74% |
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