Fayette County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Fayette County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 8th highest of 88 Ohio counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Fayette County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.5% |
| Mapped soil | 260,474 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH047 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 3% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
On 96% of Fayette 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: 43.81 in, 2.17 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.64 in.
USDA rates over 99% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
7 flood losses since 2016, $9,795 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.81 in (+2.17) |
| 2025 | 45.97 in (+4.33) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 57.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILMINGTON 3 N (20 mi away) | 9.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,725 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $170,700 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Fayette County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomingburg | 11% | 89% | 381 |
| Jeffersonville | 37% | 97% | 560 |
| Milledgeville | 38% | 100% | 47 |
| Octa | 49% | 98% | 51 |
| Washington Court House | 30% | 96% | 6,825 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton County, OH | 20 mi | 16% | 93% |
| Pickaway County, OH | 23 mi | 19% | 72% |
| Madison County, OH | 24 mi | 36% | 94% |
| Greene County, OH | 25 mi | 8% | 68% |
| Highland County, OH | 27 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Ross County, OH | 27 mi | 20% | 61% |
| Clark County, OH | 30 mi | 17% | 59% |
| Franklin County, OH | 37 mi | 12% | 71% |
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