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Hilliard, Ohio
Inside Hilliard's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 88% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 24 cities in Franklin County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31%, the highest of 24 cities in Franklin County.
That water-table share is above Franklin County's 71%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43026 overlapping the city. Of its 14,931 homes, 21% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1997.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Franklin 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 Hilliard
Basement waterproofing in Hilliard: a shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Hilliard's mapped land, more than in 75% of Ohio cities.
The city requires a permit for the work.
In Franklin County, 81% of the 176 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 9,600 of Hilliard's 14,931 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Hilliard's city news release names basement waterproofing among common projects that require a building permit. (City of Hilliard, read October 2, 2026) |
| Contractor registration | Hilliard says every contractor working in the city must be registered with the Building Department. (City of Hilliard) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Hilliard city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.1% |
| Mapped soil | 9,211 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 2% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
On 88% of Hilliard's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Franklin County
0% of Franklin 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 Hilliard. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43026 | 95% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Hilliard
| Housing units | 14,931 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 43% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $385,100 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Arlington | 5 mi | 2% | 47% |
| Dublin | 5 mi | 26% | 79% |
| Marble Cliff | 6 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Valleyview | 7 mi | 0% | 24% |
| Grandview Heights | 7 mi | 1% | 22% |
| Riverlea | 8 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Plain City | 8 mi | 38% | 90% |
| Worthington | 8 mi | under 1% | 49% |
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