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Gratis, Ohio
Inside Gratis' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 88% of mapped land, higher than 76% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
That water-table share is close to Preble County's 86%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45330 overlapping the city. Of its 326 homes, 68% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1974.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Preble 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 Gratis
Basement waterproofing in Gratis: a shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Gratis' mapped land, more than in 76% of Ohio cities.
About 300 of Gratis' 326 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Gratis city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.0% |
| Mapped soil | 623 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 88% of Gratis' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Preble County
0% of Preble 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 Gratis. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45330 | 95% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Gratis
| Housing units | 326 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 3% |
| Owner-occupied | 90% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $154,600 |
| Single-family detached | 97% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Elkton | 4 mi | 2% | 81% |
| Farmersville | 6 mi | 18% | 95% |
| Camden | 6 mi | 1% | 33% |
| West Alexandria | 7 mi | 16% | 78% |
| Jacksonburg | 8 mi | 25% | 75% |
| Germantown | 9 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Eaton | 9 mi | 19% | 89% |
| New Lebanon | 10 mi | 31% | 95% |
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