HomeOhioLorain CountyAvon Lake
Avon Lake, Ohio
Inside Avon Lake's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 94% of mapped land, higher than 83% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%, the 5th-highest of 16 cities in Lorain County.
That water-table share is close to Lorain County's 91%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44012 overlapping the city. Of its 11,289 homes, 39% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1989.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Lorain 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 Avon Lake
Basement waterproofing in Avon Lake: a shallow water table limits basements on 94% of Avon Lake's mapped land, more than in 83% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Avon Lake logged 2 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
The city requires a permit for the work.
In Lorain County, 65% of the 60 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 8,600 of Avon Lake's 11,289 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Avon Lake's permit requirements table marks waterproofing as needing a building permit. (City of Avon Lake Building Department, read October 2, 2026) |
| Contractor registration | Avon Lake says any contractor working in the city must be registered through its OpenGov portal. (City of Avon Lake Building Department) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Avon Lake city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.0% |
| Mapped soil | 7,110 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Miner | 34% | n/a |
| Allis | 32% | n/a |
| Mahoning | 10% | 100% |
| Lorain | 5% | n/a |
| Trumbull | 4% | n/a |
| Haskins | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 94% of Avon Lake's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Lorain County
0% of Lorain 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 Avon Lake. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44012 | 100% | 2 | $2,937 |
Homes in Avon Lake
| Housing units | 11,289 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 34% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $368,300 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon | 3 mi | 11% | 85% |
| Sheffield Lake | 4 mi | 1% | 77% |
| Bay Village | 5 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Sheffield | 5 mi | 8% | 89% |
| Westlake | 5 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| North Olmsted | 7 mi | 0% | 58% |
| North Ridgeville | 7 mi | 5% | 87% |
| Rocky River | 9 mi | 1% | 35% |
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