Fulton County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Fulton County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 62% 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 Fulton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.7% |
| Mapped soil | 260,697 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH051 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 10% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
On 85% of Fulton 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: 29.93 in, 5.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.22 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 2026 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
5 flood losses since 2016, $27,951 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.93 in (-5.29) |
| 2025 | 28.84 in (-6.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1950: 50.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 22.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAUSEON WTP (6 mi away) | 7.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,739 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $191,000 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Fulton County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County, OH | 19 mi | 62% | 96% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 21 mi | 9% | 79% |
| Williams County, OH | 24 mi | 22% | 95% |
| Defiance County, OH | 27 mi | 49% | 92% |
| Wood County, OH | 31 mi | 55% | 91% |
| Lucas County, OH | 34 mi | 19% | 68% |
| Hillsdale County, MI | 35 mi | 2% | 51% |
| Monroe County, MI | 40 mi | 11% | 91% |
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