Crawford County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 93% of Crawford County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Crawford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 92.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.7% |
| Mapped soil | 257,754 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington | 24% | 99% |
| Cardington | 11% | 99% |
| Pewamo | 11% | 99% |
| Tiro | 10% | n/a |
| Condit | 8% | n/a |
| Luray | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OH033 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 93% of Crawford 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: 40.46 in, 0.46 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 40.00 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 6.6% of its area, on the October 28, 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
11 flood losses since 2016, $310,853 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.00 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.46 in (+0.46) |
| 2025 | 36.88 in (-3.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 56.53 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 23.50 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BUCYRUS (3 mi away) | 7.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,812 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $136,700 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Crawford County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucyrus | 2% | 72% | 5,687 |
| Chatfield | 1% | 98% | 74 |
| Crestline | under 1% | 71% | 2,080 |
| Galion | under 1% | 76% | 5,175 |
| New Washington | under 1% | 90% | 454 |
| North Robinson | 1% | 77% | 108 |
| Tiro | under 1% | 90% | 103 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandot County, OH | 20 mi | 30% | 90% |
| Richland County, OH | 21 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Seneca County, OH | 22 mi | 26% | 89% |
| Marion County, OH | 22 mi | 40% | 92% |
| Morrow County, OH | 23 mi | 9% | 87% |
| Huron County, OH | 27 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Ashland County, OH | 34 mi | 1% | 63% |
| Sandusky County, OH | 37 mi | 35% | 80% |
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