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Bluffton, Ohio
Inside Bluffton's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 89% of mapped land, higher than 77% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%, the 5th-highest of 9 cities in Allen County.
That water-table share is close to Allen County's 93%. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45817 overlapping the city. Of its 1,559 homes, 67% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1971.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Allen 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 Bluffton
Basement waterproofing in Bluffton: a shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Bluffton's mapped land, more than in 77% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Bluffton logged 9 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Allen County, 14% of the 37 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 1,100 of Bluffton's 1,559 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Bluffton city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.0% |
| Mapped soil | 2,517 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 1% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
On 89% of Bluffton'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 Allen County
0% of Allen 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 Bluffton. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45817 | 100% | 9 | $69,843 |
Homes in Bluffton
| Housing units | 1,559 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $212,400 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Cory | 4 mi | 34% | over 99% |
| Pandora | 5 mi | 13% | 91% |
| Beaverdam | 6 mi | 16% | 99% |
| Rawson | 7 mi | 35% | 98% |
| Jenera | 8 mi | 8% | 95% |
| Gilboa | 9 mi | 51% | 94% |
| Ada | 9 mi | 43% | over 99% |
| Benton Ridge | 9 mi | 21% | 70% |
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