Elgin, Ohio
Inside Elgin's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on over 99% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 9 cities in Van Wert County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69%, the 4th-highest of 9 cities in Van Wert County.
That water-table share is close to Van Wert County's 99%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Van Wert County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
Basement waterproofing in Elgin
Basement waterproofing in Elgin: a shallow water table limits basements on over 99% of Elgin's mapped land, more than in 96% of Ohio cities.
Soil under Elgin city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 68.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 99.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 39.9% |
| Mapped soil | 144 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 40% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 69% of the mapped land.
On over 99% of Elgin's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates over 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Van Wert County
0% of Van Wert 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 Elgin. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45894 | 65% | 0 | $0 |
| 45838 | 35% | 0 | $0 |
Homes
Elgin has fewer than 100 housing units in the ACS 2020-2024 estimates, too few for reliable shares.
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venedocia | 3 mi | 29% | 100% |
| Mendon | 5 mi | 16% | 98% |
| Spencerville | 7 mi | 29% | 99% |
| Ohio City | 8 mi | 65% | over 99% |
| Middle Point | 8 mi | 74% | 97% |
| Rockford | 10 mi | 27% | 98% |
| Delphos | 10 mi | 80% | 95% |
| Van Wert | 11 mi | 70% | 96% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026). Methods · Data status