Cuyahoga County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Cuyahoga County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 172 flood losses here since 2016, 47% of them in buildings with basements. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, November 3, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Cuyahoga County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 25.9% |
| Mapped soil | 295,287 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH035 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 51% of Cuyahoga 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: 37.66 in, 2.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.99 in.
USDA rates 60% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, November 3, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
172 flood losses since 2016, $6.7 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 78. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 47% basements, 43% slabs, 1% crawl spaces, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 78 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.66 in (-2.33) |
| 2025 | 37.40 in (-2.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 56.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 20.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLEVELAND (16 mi away) | 7.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 615,331 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $195,400 |
| Single-family detached | 59% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Cuyahoga County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Village | 0% | 51% | 6,359 |
| Beachwood | 0% | 58% | 6,581 |
| Bedford | 3% | 49% | 7,139 |
| Bedford Heights | 0% | 38% | 5,761 |
| Bentleyville | 4% | 69% | 262 |
| Berea | 0% | 50% | 7,489 |
| Bratenahl | 0% | 6% | 829 |
| Brecksville | 6% | 76% | 5,964 |
| Broadview Heights | under 1% | 77% | 8,582 |
| Brook Park | 0% | 39% | 8,320 |
| Brooklyn | 0% | 43% | 5,289 |
| Brooklyn Heights | 1% | 14% | 620 |
| Chagrin Falls | 2% | 44% | 2,109 |
| Cleveland | under 1% | 17% | 201,141 |
| Cleveland Heights | 0% | 21% | 21,420 |
| Cuyahoga Heights | 2% | 5% | 277 |
| East Cleveland | 0% | 14% | 9,849 |
| Euclid | 0% | 20% | 25,868 |
| Fairview Park | 0% | 29% | 8,115 |
| Garfield Heights | under 1% | 28% | 13,000 |
| Gates Mills | 2% | 49% | 886 |
| Glenwillow | 0% | 62% | 295 |
| Highland Heights | 0% | 66% | 3,653 |
| Highland Hills | 0% | 80% | 293 |
| Hunting Valley | 4% | 65% | 366 |
| Independence | 3% | 45% | 3,217 |
| Lakewood | 0% | 17% | 29,105 |
| Linndale | 0% | 20% | 77 |
| Lyndhurst | 0% | 35% | 7,291 |
| Maple Heights | under 1% | 37% | 9,933 |
| Mayfield | 0% | 57% | 1,468 |
| Mayfield Heights | 0% | 48% | 10,615 |
| Middleburg Heights | 0% | 65% | 7,764 |
| Moreland Hills | 6% | 64% | 1,558 |
| Newburgh Heights | 1% | 13% | 986 |
| North Olmsted | 0% | 58% | 14,131 |
| North Randall | 0% | 26% | 562 |
| North Royalton | 0% | 82% | 14,268 |
| Oakwood | 0% | 67% | 1,359 |
| Olmsted Falls | 0% | 71% | 3,959 |
| Orange | 0% | 84% | 1,468 |
| Parma | 0% | 53% | 36,157 |
| Parma Heights | 0% | 51% | 9,529 |
| Pepper Pike | 0% | 70% | 2,763 |
| Richmond Heights | 0% | 57% | 5,542 |
| Rocky River | 1% | 35% | 10,438 |
| Seven Hills | 0% | 58% | 5,020 |
| Shaker Heights | 0% | 32% | 13,947 |
| Solon | 1% | 82% | 9,170 |
| South Euclid | 0% | 31% | 9,173 |
| Strongsville | 0% | 75% | 19,645 |
| University Heights | 0% | 32% | 5,007 |
| Valley View | 5% | 32% | 833 |
| Walton Hills | 1% | 56% | 958 |
| Warrensville Heights | 0% | 36% | 7,098 |
| Westlake | under 1% | 75% | 15,559 |
| Woodmere | 0% | 45% | 336 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geauga County, OH | 23 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Lake County, OH | 26 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Summit County, OH | 30 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Lorain County, OH | 31 mi | 3% | 91% |
| Medina County, OH | 34 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Portage County, OH | 34 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 47 mi | under 1% | 77% |
| Ashtabula County, OH | 51 mi | 2% | 89% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status