Licking County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 69% of Licking County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 99 flood losses here since 2016, 46% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, September 22, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Licking County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.0% |
| Mapped soil | 439,738 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington | 14% | 99% |
| Centerburg | 14% | over 99% |
| Brownsville | 11% | n/a |
| Amanda | 7% | 40% |
| Pewamo | 7% | 99% |
| Coshocton | 6% | 98% |
How we count · survey areas OH089 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 69% of Licking 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: 48.56 in, 6.71 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.85 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 7, 2025 map.
| Category, September 22, 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
99 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 63. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 46% basements, 25% slabs, 19% crawl spaces, 11% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 16 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 63 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 12 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.56 in (+6.71) |
| 2025 | 40.61 in (-1.24) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 55.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEWARK WTR WKS (4 mi away) | 9.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 73,273 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $275,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Licking County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 0% | 29% | 236 |
| Buckeye Lake | 2% | 85% | 1,405 |
| Granville | 0% | 32% | 2,005 |
| Gratiot | 0% | 90% | 117 |
| Hanover | 0% | 34% | 483 |
| Hartford (Croton) | 0% | 90% | 153 |
| Heath | under 1% | 48% | 4,498 |
| Hebron | 0% | 86% | 1,308 |
| Johnstown | 2% | 87% | 2,016 |
| Kirkersville | 0% | 87% | 206 |
| Newark | under 1% | 20% | 21,755 |
| Pataskala | 1% | 95% | 7,165 |
| St. Louisville | 0% | 5% | 124 |
| Utica | 0% | 80% | 871 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, OH | 22 mi | under 1% | 65% |
| Fairfield County, OH | 25 mi | 5% | 60% |
| Perry County, OH | 27 mi | 13% | 42% |
| Franklin County, OH | 29 mi | 12% | 71% |
| Muskingum County, OH | 30 mi | 17% | 39% |
| Delaware County, OH | 31 mi | 23% | 84% |
| Coshocton County, OH | 32 mi | 3% | 46% |
| Morrow County, OH | 34 mi | 9% | 87% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status