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Fostoria, Ohio
Inside Fostoria's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 73% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 7 cities in Seneca County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43%, the highest of 7 cities in Seneca County.
That water-table share is below Seneca County's 89%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44830 overlapping the city. Of its 5,793 homes, 85% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1952.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Seneca 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 Fostoria
Basement waterproofing in Fostoria: a shallow water table limits basements on 73% of Fostoria's mapped land, more than in 57% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Fostoria logged 3 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
About 4,200 of Fostoria's 5,793 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Fostoria city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 42.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 12.5% |
| Mapped soil | 4,960 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 5% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.
On 73% of Fostoria's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Seneca County
0% of Seneca 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 Fostoria. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44830 | 100% | 3 | $176,283 |
Homes in Fostoria
| Housing units | 5,793 |
| Median year built | 1952 |
| Built before 1980 | 85% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $87,200 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia | 6 mi | 31% | over 99% |
| West Millgrove | 7 mi | 3% | 76% |
| Bloomdale | 7 mi | 59% | 97% |
| Risingsun | 7 mi | 21% | 55% |
| New Riegel | 9 mi | 18% | 100% |
| Bairdstown | 10 mi | 67% | 97% |
| Wayne | 10 mi | 0% | 74% |
| Bettsville | 11 mi | 32% | 59% |
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