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Johnstown, Ohio
Inside Johnstown's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 87% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 14 cities in Licking County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%, the highest of 14 cities in Licking County.
That water-table share is above Licking County's 69%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43031 overlapping the city. Of its 2,016 homes, 36% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1994.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Licking 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 Johnstown
Basement waterproofing in Johnstown: a shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Johnstown's mapped land, more than in 74% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Johnstown logged 2 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Licking County, 46% of the 57 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 1,300 of Johnstown's 2,016 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Johnstown city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 7.7% |
| Mapped soil | 1,916 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Centerburg | 39% | over 99% |
| Bennington | 20% | 99% |
| Amanda | 9% | 40% |
| Pewamo | 8% | 99% |
| Condit | 3% | n/a |
| Sloan | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 87% of Johnstown's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Licking County
0% of Licking 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 Johnstown. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43031 | 100% | 2 | $8,296 |
Homes in Johnstown
| Housing units | 2,016 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $347,900 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 6 mi | 0% | 29% |
| New Albany | 6 mi | 1% | 99% |
| Hartford (Croton) | 6 mi | 0% | 90% |
| Pataskala | 9 mi | 1% | 95% |
| Centerburg | 11 mi | under 1% | 97% |
| Galena | 11 mi | 8% | 80% |
| Granville | 12 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Sunbury | 12 mi | 15% | 92% |
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