Brown County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Brown County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Brown County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 11.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.6% |
| Mapped soil | 315,661 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH015 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 68% of Brown 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: 49.28 in, 3.18 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 46.10 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 1.7% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the May 12, 2026 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
11 flood losses since 2016, $201,800 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.28 in (+3.18) |
| 2025 | 51.39 in (+5.29) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 59.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.75 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MAYSVILLE WWTP (17 mi away) | 11.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,565 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $196,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Brown County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 3% | 12% | 740 |
| Fayetteville | 1% | 87% | 135 |
| Georgetown | 8% | 87% | 1,950 |
| Hamersville | 3% | 100% | 325 |
| Higginsport | 27% | 0% | 116 |
| Mount Orab | 9% | 92% | 1,806 |
| Ripley | 16% | 3% | 898 |
| Russellville | 10% | 86% | 308 |
| Sardinia | 16% | 81% | 436 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clermont County, OH | 17 mi | 8% | 67% |
| Bracken County, KY | 22 mi | 8% | 4% |
| Adams County, OH | 22 mi | 15% | 27% |
| Highland County, OH | 23 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Mason County, KY | 23 mi | 43% | 5% |
| Campbell County, KY | 28 mi | 14% | 16% |
| Pendleton County, KY | 31 mi | 14% | 8% |
| Robertson County, KY | 31 mi | 7% | 2% |
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