Defiance County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Defiance County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Defiance County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 91.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.6% |
| Mapped soil | 265,011 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH039 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
On 92% of Defiance 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: 31.35 in, 5.34 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.69 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the March 10, 2026 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
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.35 in (-5.34) |
| 2025 | 30.86 in (-5.83) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 52.14 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 24.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DEFIANCE (6 mi away) | 8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,565 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,200 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Defiance County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance | 56% | 81% | 8,164 |
| Hicksville | 11% | 84% | 1,350 |
| Ney | 16% | 62% | 133 |
| Sherwood | 51% | 92% | 264 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paulding County, OH | 15 mi | 70% | 96% |
| Williams County, OH | 18 mi | 22% | 95% |
| Henry County, OH | 22 mi | 62% | 96% |
| Fulton County, OH | 27 mi | 17% | 85% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 27 mi | 20% | 88% |
| Putnam County, OH | 28 mi | 66% | 96% |
| Van Wert County, OH | 33 mi | 64% | 99% |
| Allen County, IN | 34 mi | 38% | 88% |
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