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Highland Hills, Ohio
Inside Highland Hills' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 80% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 57 cities in Cuyahoga County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
That water-table share is above Cuyahoga County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 293 homes, 62% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1967.
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 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Highland Hills
Basement waterproofing in Highland Hills: a shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Highland Hills' mapped land, more than in 65% of Ohio cities, and the 2 ZIP codes overlapping Highland Hills logged 12 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Cuyahoga County, 47% of the 90 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 100 of Highland Hills' 293 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Highland Hills city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 11.6% |
| Mapped soil | 1,260 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 80% of Highland Hills' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 83% 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 Highland Hills. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44122 | 58% | 10 | $31,565 |
| 44128 | 42% | 2 | $1,296 |
Homes in Highland Hills
| Housing units | 293 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 32% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $121,400 |
| Single-family detached | 24% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrensville Heights | 1 mi | 0% | 36% |
| North Randall | 1 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Beachwood | 2 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Woodmere | 2 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Shaker Heights | 2 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Orange | 2 mi | 0% | 84% |
| University Heights | 3 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Bedford Heights | 3 mi | 0% | 38% |
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