Findlay, Ohio
Inside Findlay's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 66% of mapped land, higher than 50% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
That water-table share is below Hancock County's 93%. FEMA's flood data list 118 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45840 overlapping the city. Of its 19,200 homes, 61% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1971.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources · in Hancock 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
Soil under Findlay city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 65.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 17.2% |
| Mapped soil | 12,817 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pewamo | 15% | 99% |
| Blount | 14% | over 99% |
| Glynwood | 9% | over 99% |
| Lamberjack | 7% | n/a |
| Alvada | 4% | n/a |
| Randolph | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 66% of Findlay's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Hancock County
0% of Hancock County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Findlay. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45840 | 100% | 118 | $1.6 million |
Homes in Findlay
| Housing units | 19,200 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $191,000 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren | 6 mi | 3% | 80% |
| Arcadia | 8 mi | 31% | over 99% |
| Benton Ridge | 9 mi | 21% | 70% |
| Bairdstown | 9 mi | 67% | 97% |
| McComb | 9 mi | 17% | 82% |
| North Baltimore | 9 mi | 37% | 87% |
| Vanlue | 9 mi | 31% | 98% |
| Bloomdale | 10 mi | 59% | 97% |
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