Lake County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 73% of Lake County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses here since 2016, 35% of them in buildings with basements. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, November 3, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Lake County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 73.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 148,160 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH085 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 73% of Lake 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: 41.18 in, 1.22 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.40 in.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, November 3, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
30 flood losses since 2016, $782,367 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 5. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 35% basements, 35% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 17% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.18 in (-1.22) |
| 2025 | 39.48 in (-2.92) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 61.44 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 23.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAINESVILLE 4 NW (5 mi away) | 7.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 106,331 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $214,100 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Lake County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake | 0% | 77% | 8,680 |
| Fairport Harbor | 0% | 59% | 1,546 |
| Grand River | 0% | 66% | 298 |
| Kirtland | 0% | 85% | 2,911 |
| Kirtland Hills | 0% | 62% | 241 |
| Lakeline | 0% | 95% | 97 |
| Madison | 0% | 76% | 1,432 |
| Mentor | 0% | 66% | 21,142 |
| Mentor-on-the-Lake | 0% | 74% | 3,780 |
| North Perry | 0% | 68% | 435 |
| Painesville | 0% | 57% | 8,617 |
| Perry | 0% | 73% | 689 |
| Timberlake | 0% | 94% | 284 |
| Waite Hill | 0% | 42% | 260 |
| Wickliffe | 0% | 77% | 5,462 |
| Willoughby | 0% | 67% | 12,393 |
| Willoughby Hills | 0% | 68% | 5,409 |
| Willowick | 0% | 91% | 6,619 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geauga County, OH | 19 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Ashtabula County, OH | 25 mi | 2% | 89% |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 26 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 39 mi | under 1% | 77% |
| Portage County, OH | 42 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Summit County, OH | 49 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Lorain County, OH | 56 mi | 3% | 91% |
| Crawford County, PA | 57 mi | 0% | 85% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status