Geauga County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Geauga County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Geauga County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 261,645 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH055 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 84% of Geauga 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: 44.29 in, 0.68 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 43.61 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 70.3% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 60.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $760,256 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.29 in (+0.68) |
| 2025 | 42.88 in (-0.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 62.42 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 25.35 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHARDON (6 mi away) | 9.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 37,716 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $331,100 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Geauga County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | 0% | 67% | 852 |
| Chardon | 0% | 86% | 2,303 |
| Middlefield | under 1% | 83% | 1,431 |
| South Russell | 2% | 95% | 1,398 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, OH | 19 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 23 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Portage County, OH | 23 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 25 mi | under 1% | 77% |
| Summit County, OH | 32 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Ashtabula County, OH | 36 mi | 2% | 89% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 40 mi | 9% | 77% |
| Medina County, OH | 46 mi | 1% | 91% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status