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Chillicothe, Ohio
Inside Chillicothe's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 31% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%, the 5th-highest of 7 cities in Ross County.
That water-table share is below Ross County's 61%. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45601 overlapping the city. Of its 10,659 homes, 81% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1957.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ross 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 Chillicothe
Basement waterproofing in Chillicothe: a shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Chillicothe's mapped land, and the ZIP code overlapping Chillicothe logged 4 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
About 7,500 of Chillicothe's 10,659 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Chillicothe city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.5% |
| Mapped soil | 6,828 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 31% of Chillicothe's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Ross County
0% of Ross 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 Chillicothe. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45601 | 100% | 4 | $31,909 |
Homes in Chillicothe
| Housing units | 10,659 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 81% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $162,500 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | 10 mi | 8% | 100% |
| Frankfort | 11 mi | 7% | 44% |
| Clarksburg | 14 mi | 11% | 88% |
| Waverly | 15 mi | 7% | 24% |
| Adelphi | 16 mi | 3% | 93% |
| South Salem | 17 mi | 12% | 87% |
| Bainbridge | 17 mi | 1% | 14% |
| Laurelville | 17 mi | under 1% | 8% |
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