Delta, Ohio
Inside Delta's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 84% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 7 cities in Fulton County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26%, the 3rd-highest of 7 cities in Fulton County.
That water-table share is close to Fulton County's 85%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43515 overlapping the city. Of its 1,256 homes, 66% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1959.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Fulton County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Delta
Basement waterproofing in Delta: a shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Delta's mapped land, more than in 71% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Delta logged 1 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
About 1,100 of Delta's 1,256 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Delta city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.8% |
| Mapped soil | 2,699 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hoytville | 26% | 99% |
| Nappanee | 20% | n/a |
| Haskins | 9% | n/a |
| Mermill | 9% | n/a |
| Sloan | 7% | n/a |
| Ottokee | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 6% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 26% of the mapped land.
On 84% of Delta's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Fulton County
0% of Fulton County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Delta. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43515 | 100% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in Delta
| Housing units | 1,256 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,600 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wauseon | 6 mi | 21% | 86% |
| Swanton | 7 mi | under 1% | 77% |
| Lyons | 9 mi | 13% | 75% |
| Liberty Center | 9 mi | 7% | 90% |
| Metamora | 11 mi | 40% | 94% |
| Whitehouse | 12 mi | 28% | 77% |
| Berkey | 13 mi | 76% | 91% |
| Napoleon | 14 mi | 47% | 82% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status