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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 November 3, 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
Basement waterproofing in Lorain
Basement waterproofing in Lorain: a shallow water table limits basements on 71% of Lorain's mapped land, more than in 55% of Ohio cities, and the 3 ZIP codes overlapping Lorain logged 21 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
The city lists a permit for the work.
In Lorain County, 65% of the 60 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 21,100 of Lorain's 30,624 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Lorain has a permit application for foundation repair, replacement and waterproofing. (City of Lorain, Department of Building, Housing and Planning, read October 2, 2026) |
| Contractor registration | Contractors working in the city must be registered, licensed and bonded. (City of Lorain, Department of Building, Housing and Planning) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
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 |
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.
Lorain covers 23.6 square miles of land and counts 30,624 housing units, about 1,297 per square mile.
57% of Lorain's occupied homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $139,200; 11% of all homes in the city date from 2000 or later.
The largest soil series under Lorain is Mahoning, on 20% of the mapped land, followed by Allis at 17%.
Clay swell, measured as linear extensibility, averages 4.0% across Lorain's 15,380 mapped acres.
Drought in Lorain County
0% of Lorain 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 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 (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status