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Clayton, Ohio
Inside Clayton's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 84% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 19 cities in Montgomery County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
That water-table share is above Montgomery County's 65%. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 5,581 homes, 71% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Montgomery County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Clayton
Basement waterproofing in Clayton: a shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Clayton's mapped land, more than in 71% of Ohio cities, and the 3 ZIP codes overlapping Clayton logged 9 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Montgomery County, 65% of the 48 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 4,600 of Clayton's 5,581 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Clayton city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.6% |
| Mapped soil | 11,919 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 84% of Clayton's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Montgomery County
0% of Montgomery 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 Clayton. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45315 | 40% | 2 | $10,371 |
| 45322 | 35% | 6 | $27,666 |
| 45415 | 17% | 1 | $40,173 |
Homes in Clayton
| Housing units | 5,581 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 6% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $208,200 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Englewood | 1 mi | 24% | 66% |
| Union | 2 mi | 18% | 50% |
| Phillipsburg | 5 mi | 28% | 100% |
| Brookville | 5 mi | 30% | 96% |
| Trotwood | 5 mi | 22% | 65% |
| West Milton | 6 mi | 21% | 38% |
| Vandalia | 7 mi | 11% | 73% |
| Potsdam | 8 mi | 24% | 100% |
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