Harrison County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 29% of Harrison County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Harrison County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.2% |
| Mapped soil | 262,746 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Morristown | 20% | n/a |
| Westmoreland | 13% | 0% |
| Guernsey | 12% | n/a |
| Gilpin | 8% | under 1% |
| Coshocton | 8% | 98% |
| Dekalb | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OH067 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.4% by land area here, and 13% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
On 29% of Harrison 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: 42.57 in, 0.85 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.72 in.
USDA rates 90% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
8 flood losses since 2016, $113,125 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.57 in (+0.85) |
| 2025 | 36.19 in (-5.53) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 58.41 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PIKE ISLAND(LOCK & DAM) (23 mi away) | 7.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,383 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $121,500 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Harrison County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowerston | 3% | 60% | 205 |
| Cadiz | 58% | 26% | 1,511 |
| Deersville | 3% | 5% | 37 |
| Freeport | 1% | 38% | 237 |
| Harrisville | 25% | 59% | 84 |
| Hopedale | 20% | 56% | 440 |
| Jewett | under 1% | 83% | 227 |
| New Athens | 29% | 3% | 144 |
| Scio | 4% | 61% | 300 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, OH | 19 mi | 21% | 11% |
| Carroll County, OH | 20 mi | 2% | 28% |
| Belmont County, OH | 20 mi | 23% | 18% |
| Tuscarawas County, OH | 23 mi | 7% | 42% |
| Brooke County, WV | 27 mi | 1% | 9% |
| Guernsey County, OH | 27 mi | 23% | 34% |
| Ohio County, WV | 28 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Hancock County, WV | 32 mi | 1% | 11% |
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