Champaign County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Champaign County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Champaign County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.0% |
| Mapped soil | 275,174 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH021 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 83% of Champaign 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: 44.38 in, 2.44 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.94 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 95.5% of its area, on the October 21, 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
8 flood losses since 2016, $32,491 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.38 in (+2.44) |
| 2025 | 40.90 in (-1.04) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 57.45 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 24.14 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at URBANA WWTP (3 mi away) | 9.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,944 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $204,000 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Champaign County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christiansburg | 24% | over 99% | 311 |
| Mechanicsburg | 3% | 82% | 712 |
| Mutual | 10% | 94% | 34 |
| North Lewisburg | 19% | 98% | 789 |
| St. Paris | 21% | 99% | 1,006 |
| Urbana | 2% | 59% | 5,320 |
| Woodstock | 41% | over 99% | 112 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County, OH | 16 mi | 17% | 59% |
| Logan County, OH | 17 mi | 26% | 81% |
| Union County, OH | 24 mi | 25% | 97% |
| Miami County, OH | 25 mi | 18% | 81% |
| Madison County, OH | 26 mi | 36% | 94% |
| Shelby County, OH | 26 mi | 24% | 94% |
| Greene County, OH | 32 mi | 8% | 68% |
| Hardin County, OH | 36 mi | 35% | 97% |
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