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Columbus, Ohio
Inside Columbus' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 63% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
That water-table share is below Franklin County's 71%. FEMA's flood data list 195 flood losses since 2016 in the 33 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 425,182 homes, 50% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1980.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources · in Franklin County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 33 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Columbus city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 16.3% |
| Mapped soil | 147,082 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Crosby | 16% | 99% |
| Bennington | 15% | 99% |
| Kokomo | 8% | 98% |
| Cardington | 5% | 99% |
| Celina | 5% | 94% |
| Pewamo | 4% | 99% |
What the numbers mean here
On 63% of Columbus' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 72% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Franklin County
0% of Franklin 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 Columbus. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43207 | 8% | 1 | $0 |
| 43228 | 7% | 2 | $6,069 |
| 43219 | 7% | 3 | $74,500 |
| 43235 | 5% | 6 | $81,871 |
| 43232 | 4% | 29 | $216,511 |
| 43137 | 4% | 0 | $0 |
| 43229 | 4% | 1 | $14,057 |
| 43204 | 4% | 1 | $4,474 |
| 43224 | 3% | 2 | $0 |
| 43214 | 3% | 13 | $123,347 |
| 43223 | 3% | 7 | $113,983 |
| 43230 | 3% | 13 | $81,574 |
| 43213 | 2% | 30 | $108,172 |
| 43215 | 2% | 1 | $5,660 |
| 43211 | 2% | 0 | $0 |
| 43227 | 2% | 55 | $309,223 |
| 43209 | 2% | 3 | $8,979 |
| 43201 | 1% | 1 | $47,576 |
| 43206 | 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 43221 | 1% | 2 | $9,710 |
| 43231 | 1% | 2 | $11,776 |
| 43202 | 1% | 12 | $118,752 |
| 43205 | 1% | 1 | $0 |
| 43220 | 1% | 3 | $23,002 |
| 43240 | 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 43085 | 1% | 6 | $91,488 |
| 43203 | 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 43210 | 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 43212 | 1% | 1 | $0 |
| 43222 | 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 43002 | under 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 43109 | under 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 43218 | 0% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Columbus
| Housing units | 425,182 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 44% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $252,900 |
| Single-family detached | 44% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grandview Heights | 3 mi | 1% | 22% |
| Bexley | 3 mi | under 1% | 65% |
| Marble Cliff | 4 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Valleyview | 5 mi | 0% | 24% |
| Upper Arlington | 5 mi | 2% | 47% |
| Whitehall | 6 mi | under 1% | 63% |
| Gahanna | 7 mi | 2% | 71% |
| Minerva Park | 7 mi | 0% | 60% |
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