Lawrence County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 11% of Lawrence County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Lawrence County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 29.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 11.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.2% |
| Mapped soil | 292,480 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH087 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.7% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.18 in, 3.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.45 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
33 flood losses since 2016, $371,297 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 14. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.45 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.18 in (-3.27) |
| 2025 | 48.26 in (+3.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 60.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ASHLAND (12 mi away) | 10.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 26,536 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $144,000 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Lawrence County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athalia | 26% | 8% | 165 |
| Chesapeake | 28% | 5% | 564 |
| Coal Grove | 2% | 4% | 889 |
| Hanging Rock | 1% | 7% | 86 |
| Ironton | 2% | 3% | 5,243 |
| Proctorville | 0% | 31% | 390 |
| South Point | 2% | 14% | 1,441 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallia County, OH | 19 mi | 29% | 26% |
| Boyd County, KY | 19 mi | 40% | 25% |
| Cabell County, WV | 20 mi | 21% | 11% |
| Greenup County, KY | 23 mi | 27% | 34% |
| Mason County, WV | 29 mi | 32% | 16% |
| Jackson County, OH | 29 mi | 17% | 53% |
| Scioto County, OH | 30 mi | 8% | 34% |
| Wayne County, WV | 32 mi | 17% | 28% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status