Butler County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Butler County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.
None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 75 flood losses here since 2016, 68% of them in buildings with basements. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, November 3, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Butler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 10.4% |
| Mapped soil | 300,755 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH017 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Butler 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: 51.00 in, 7.77 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 43.23 in.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, November 3, 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
75 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 17. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 68% basements, 27% slabs, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 13 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.23 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.00 in (+7.77) |
| 2025 | 43.25 in (+0.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 61.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 23.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FAIRFIELD (6 mi away) | 11.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 155,372 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $258,500 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Butler County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 5% | 16% | 19,548 |
| Hamilton | 8% | 13% | 26,922 |
| Jacksonburg | 25% | 75% | 11 |
| Middletown | 3% | 14% | 23,046 |
| Millville | 2% | 41% | 299 |
| Monroe | 27% | 41% | 5,391 |
| New Miami | 2% | 3% | 878 |
| Oxford | 4% | 23% | 7,264 |
| Seven Mile | 21% | 16% | 233 |
| Trenton | 1% | 4% | 4,930 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, OH | 17 mi | 7% | 9% |
| Preble County, OH | 21 mi | 17% | 86% |
| Warren County, OH | 21 mi | 10% | 51% |
| Union County, IN | 23 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Montgomery County, OH | 26 mi | 17% | 65% |
| Franklin County, IN | 27 mi | 15% | 53% |
| Dearborn County, IN | 30 mi | 38% | 36% |
| Boone County, KY | 34 mi | 7% | 29% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status