Lima, Ohio
Inside Lima's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 60% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 12%.
That water-table share is below Allen County's 93%. USDA doesn't rate the 32% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 15,950 homes, 83% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1955.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources · in Allen County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Lima
Basement waterproofing in Lima: a shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Lima's mapped land, and the 3 ZIP codes overlapping Lima logged 28 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
Whether the city requires a permit depends on the job.
In Allen County, 14% of the 37 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 11,400 of Lima's 15,950 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Depends on the job. Lima's list of work that needs a building permit includes replacing or reinforcing basement walls under an existing building; waterproofing and drain tile aren't on that list. (City of Lima, Building Department, read October 2, 2026) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Lima city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 11.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 32.4% |
| Mapped soil | 8,835 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 60% of Lima's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 61% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Lima covers 13.6 square miles of land and counts 15,950 housing units, about 1,170 per square mile.
46% of Lima's occupied homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $107,200; 7% of all homes in the city date from 2000 or later.
The largest soil series under Lima is Glynwood, on 25% of the mapped land, followed by Blount at 19%.
Clay swell, measured as linear extensibility, averages 4.6% across Lima's 8,835 mapped acres.
Drought in Allen County
0% of Allen County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Lima. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45804 | 37% | 1 | $565 |
| 45801 | 36% | 24 | $77,600 |
| 45805 | 26% | 3 | $191,845 |
Homes in Lima
| Housing units | 15,950 |
| Median year built | 1955 |
| Built before 1980 | 83% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 46% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,200 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elida | 6 mi | 17% | 74% |
| Cairo | 6 mi | 21% | over 99% |
| Cridersville | 6 mi | 23% | 90% |
| Lafayette | 9 mi | 14% | 99% |
| Beaverdam | 10 mi | 16% | 99% |
| Harrod | 10 mi | 25% | 98% |
| Buckland | 11 mi | 16% | 79% |
| Waynesfield | 12 mi | 21% | over 99% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status