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Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Inside Cleveland Heights' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 21% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
That water-table share is below Cuyahoga County's 51%. USDA doesn't rate the 55% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 21,420 homes, 92% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1939 or earlier.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources · in Cuyahoga 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
Soil under Cleveland Heights city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 33.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 55.2% |
| Mapped soil | 5,176 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mitiwanga | 12% | 95% |
| Loudonville | 10% | n/a |
| Mahoning | 7% | 100% |
| Ellsworth | 3% | 99% |
| Brecksville | 2% | n/a |
| Darien | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 21% of Cleveland Heights' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Cuyahoga County
0% of Cuyahoga County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Cleveland Heights. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44118 | 56% | 1 | $0 |
| 44121 | 24% | 0 | $0 |
| 44106 | 15% | 2 | $173,393 |
Homes in Cleveland Heights
| Housing units | 21,420 |
| Median year built | 1939 or earlier |
| Built before 1980 | 92% |
| Built 2000 or later | 3% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $192,100 |
| Single-family detached | 62% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Cleveland | 2 mi | 0% | 14% |
| University Heights | 2 mi | 0% | 32% |
| South Euclid | 2 mi | 0% | 31% |
| Shaker Heights | 2 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Lyndhurst | 3 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Bratenahl | 4 mi | 0% | 6% |
| Beachwood | 4 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Richmond Heights | 4 mi | 0% | 57% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status