HomeOhioLorain CountyLorain
Lorain, Ohio
Inside Lorain's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 71% of mapped land, higher than 55% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
That water-table share is below Lorain County's 91%. FEMA's flood data list 21 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 30,624 homes, 80% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1961.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources · in Lorain 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
Soil under Lorain city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 16.0% |
| Mapped soil | 15,380 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mahoning | 20% | 100% |
| Allis | 17% | n/a |
| Miner | 7% | n/a |
| Fulton | 5% | n/a |
| Ellsworth | 3% | 99% |
| Haskins | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 71% of Lorain's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 72% 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 September 22, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Lorain. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44053 | 42% | 8 | $407,351 |
| 44052 | 39% | 3 | $12,931 |
| 44055 | 18% | 10 | $78,332 |
Homes in Lorain
| Housing units | 30,624 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $139,200 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 4 mi | 5% | 74% |
| Sheffield | 5 mi | 8% | 89% |
| Sheffield Lake | 5 mi | 1% | 77% |
| Elyria | 6 mi | 8% | 72% |
| South Amherst | 7 mi | 7% | 82% |
| Vermilion | 7 mi | 4% | 85% |
| North Ridgeville | 9 mi | 5% | 87% |
| Avon | 9 mi | 11% | 85% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status