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Highland County, Ohio

A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Highland County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

66%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

51%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Highland County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.1%
High water table (limits basements)66.1%
Septic fields very limited91.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.1%
Mapped soil357,261 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Miamian10%78%
Clermont9%n/a
Rossmoyne8%96%
Westboro6%n/a
Jonesboro5%n/a
Haubstadt5%n/a
Clinton County: 93%Brown County: 68%Adams County: 27%Fayette County: 96%Pike County: 54%Ross County: 61%Clermont County: 67%Warren County: 51%Highland County ClintonBrownAdamsFayettePikeRossClermontWarrenHighland
Highland County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas OH071 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 66% of Highland 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: 48.48 in, 3.55 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 44.93 in.

USDA rates 92% 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.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Highland County since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.93 in
12 months to August 202648.48 in (+3.55)
202549.86 in (+4.93)
Wettest year since 18952011: 60.65 in
Driest year since 18951901: 28.30 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HILLSBORO (3 mi away)10.9

Homes

Housing units19,036
Median year built1979
Built before 198051%
Built 2000 or later18%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$168,900
Single-family detached74%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Cities in Highland County

CityExpansive clayHigh water tableHomes
Greenfield1%53%1,908
Highland1%67%63
Hillsborounder 1%40%3,204
Leesburg2%61%478
Lynchburg1%69%612
Mowrystown1%80%194
Sinking Springunder 1%12%101

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Clinton County, OH 20 mi 16% 93%
Brown County, OH 23 mi 11% 68%
Adams County, OH 25 mi 15% 27%
Fayette County, OH 27 mi 37% 96%
Pike County, OH 30 mi 17% 54%
Ross County, OH 31 mi 20% 61%
Clermont County, OH 31 mi 8% 67%
Warren County, OH 35 mi 10% 51%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status