Auglaize County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 94% of Auglaize County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 25 flood losses here since 2016. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Auglaize County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 29.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.7% |
| Mapped soil | 257,408 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH011 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 7% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
On 94% of Auglaize 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: 39.30 in, 0.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.75 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the November 4, 2025 map.
| 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
25 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 23. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.75 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.30 in (-0.45) |
| 2025 | 31.56 in (-8.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 53.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 23.21 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LIMA WWTP (12 mi away) | 8.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,056 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $189,800 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Auglaize County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckland | 16% | 79% | 108 |
| Cridersville | 23% | 90% | 755 |
| Minster | 34% | over 99% | 1,208 |
| New Bremen | 27% | 99% | 1,266 |
| New Knoxville | 32% | over 99% | 425 |
| St. Marys | 11% | 68% | 3,714 |
| Wapakoneta | 18% | 72% | 4,741 |
| Waynesfield | 21% | over 99% | 292 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, OH | 16 mi | 24% | 94% |
| Allen County, OH | 16 mi | 31% | 93% |
| Mercer County, OH | 21 mi | 37% | 95% |
| Logan County, OH | 27 mi | 26% | 81% |
| Van Wert County, OH | 28 mi | 64% | 99% |
| Hardin County, OH | 30 mi | 35% | 97% |
| Putnam County, OH | 32 mi | 66% | 96% |
| Miami County, OH | 35 mi | 18% | 81% |
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