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Kipton, Ohio
Inside Kipton's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 98% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 16 cities in Lorain County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
That water-table share is above Lorain County's 91%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 111 homes, 97% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1939 or earlier.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Lorain 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 Kipton
Basement waterproofing in Kipton: a shallow water table limits basements on 98% of Kipton's mapped land, more than in 89% of Ohio cities, and the 2 ZIP codes overlapping Kipton logged 3 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Lorain County, 65% of the 60 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 100 of Kipton's 111 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Kipton city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 97.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 285 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 98% of Kipton's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Lorain County
0% of Lorain 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 Kipton. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44049 | 79% | 0 | $0 |
| 44074 | 21% | 3 | $61,507 |
Homes in Kipton
| Housing units | 111 |
| Median year built | 1939 or earlier |
| Built before 1980 | 97% |
| Built 2000 or later | 0% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,600 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oberlin | 4 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Wakeman | 5 mi | under 1% | 85% |
| South Amherst | 7 mi | 7% | 82% |
| Wellington | 9 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Vermilion | 10 mi | 4% | 85% |
| Rochester | 10 mi | 1% | 97% |
| LaGrange | 10 mi | 0% | over 99% |
| Berlin Heights | 10 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