Eaton, Ohio
Inside Eaton's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 89% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 11 cities in Preble County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19%, the 4th-highest of 11 cities in Preble County.
That water-table share is close to Preble County's 86%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45320 overlapping the city. Of its 3,974 homes, 61% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1974.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Preble 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 Eaton
Basement waterproofing in Eaton: a shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Eaton's mapped land, more than in 77% of Ohio cities.
About 3,100 of Eaton's 3,974 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Eaton city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.5% |
| Mapped soil | 4,127 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 11% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
On 89% of Eaton's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Preble County
0% of Preble 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 Eaton. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45320 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Eaton
| Housing units | 3,974 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $148,200 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Alexandria | 5 mi | 16% | 78% |
| Camden | 8 mi | 1% | 33% |
| Lewisburg | 8 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Gratis | 9 mi | 7% | 88% |
| West Manchester | 11 mi | 24% | 91% |
| Eldorado | 11 mi | 20% | 99% |
| New Paris | 11 mi | 9% | 35% |
| West Elkton | 12 mi | 2% | 81% |
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