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Gates Mills, Ohio
Inside Gates Mills' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 49% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
That water-table share is close to Cuyahoga County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44040 overlapping the city. Of its 886 homes, 76% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1960.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cuyahoga 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 Gates Mills
Basement waterproofing in Gates Mills: a shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Gates Mills' mapped land.
In Cuyahoga County, 47% of the 90 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 900 of Gates Mills' 886 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Gates Mills city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.8% |
| Mapped soil | 5,798 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Gates Mills' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Cuyahoga County
0% of Cuyahoga 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 Gates Mills. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44040 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Gates Mills
| Housing units | 886 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 97% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $743,400 |
| Single-family detached | 98% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfield | 2 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Mayfield Heights | 2 mi | 0% | 48% |
| Hunting Valley | 3 mi | 4% | 65% |
| Highland Heights | 3 mi | 0% | 66% |
| Willoughby Hills | 4 mi | 0% | 68% |
| Pepper Pike | 4 mi | 0% | 70% |
| Lyndhurst | 4 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Richmond Heights | 5 mi | 0% | 57% |
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