Erie County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 69% of Erie County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 95 flood losses here since 2016, 54% of them in buildings with basements. 68% 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 Erie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 69.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.4% |
| Mapped soil | 181,587 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pewamo | 7% | 99% |
| Bennington | 6% | 99% |
| Kibbie | 4% | n/a |
| Elnora | 4% | n/a |
| Colwood | 3% | n/a |
| Toledo | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OH043 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 69% of Erie 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: 35.48 in, 1.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.34 in.
USDA rates 80% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the November 4, 2025 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
95 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 24. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 54% basements, 22% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 11% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 24 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.48 in (-1.86) |
| 2025 | 32.67 in (-4.67) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 55.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 19.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SANDUSKY (8 mi away) | 7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 38,534 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,700 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Erie County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay View | 95% | 98% | 347 |
| Berlin Heights | under 1% | 49% | 336 |
| Castalia | 0% | 62% | 460 |
| Huron | 0% | 82% | 3,637 |
| Kelleys Island | 0% | 40% | 1,009 |
| Milan | 0% | 68% | 647 |
| Sandusky | 33% | 74% | 13,137 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huron County, OH | 17 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Lorain County, OH | 21 mi | 3% | 91% |
| Ottawa County, OH | 24 mi | 50% | 75% |
| Sandusky County, OH | 29 mi | 35% | 80% |
| Seneca County, OH | 34 mi | 26% | 89% |
| Medina County, OH | 41 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Ashland County, OH | 42 mi | 1% | 63% |
| Crawford County, OH | 42 mi | 3% | 93% |
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