HomeOhioDelaware CountyGalena
Galena, Ohio
Inside Galena's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 80% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 7 cities in Delaware County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%, the 5th-highest of 7 cities in Delaware County.
That water-table share is close to Delaware County's 84%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43021 overlapping the city. Of its 522 homes, 20% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2013.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Delaware 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 Galena
Basement waterproofing in Galena: a shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Galena's mapped land, more than in 65% of Ohio cities.
About 500 of Galena's 522 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Galena city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,179 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Cardington | 33% | 99% |
| Bennington | 26% | 99% |
| Pewamo | 9% | 99% |
| Amanda | 7% | 40% |
| Gallman | 4% | n/a |
| Lobdell | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 80% of Galena's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Delaware County
0% of Delaware 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 Galena. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43021 | 97% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Galena
| Housing units | 522 |
| Median year built | 2013 |
| Built before 1980 | 20% |
| Built 2000 or later | 72% |
| Owner-occupied | 92% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $467,000 |
| Single-family detached | over 99% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunbury | 1 mi | 15% | 92% |
| Westerville | 7 mi | 5% | 63% |
| Hartford (Croton) | 10 mi | 0% | 90% |
| Minerva Park | 11 mi | 0% | 60% |
| New Albany | 11 mi | 1% | 99% |
| Centerburg | 11 mi | under 1% | 97% |
| Delaware | 11 mi | 23% | 72% |
| Johnstown | 11 mi | 2% | 87% |
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