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Dublin, Ohio
Inside Dublin's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 79% of mapped land, higher than 64% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26%, the 2nd-highest of 24 cities in Franklin County.
That water-table share is above Franklin County's 71%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 18,639 homes, 11% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1996.
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 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Dublin city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.1% |
| Mapped soil | 16,291 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 1% 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 79% of Dublin's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 87% 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 Dublin. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43016 | 50% | 1 | $4,315 |
| 43017 | 49% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Dublin
| Housing units | 18,639 |
| Median year built | 1996 |
| Built before 1980 | 11% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $563,500 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Hills | 3 mi | 6% | 94% |
| Powell | 5 mi | 12% | 71% |
| Hilliard | 5 mi | 31% | 88% |
| Plain City | 7 mi | 38% | 90% |
| Worthington | 7 mi | under 1% | 49% |
| Riverlea | 7 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Upper Arlington | 7 mi | 2% | 47% |
| Marble Cliff | 10 mi | 0% | 20% |
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