Lucas County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Lucas County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19%.
None of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 45 flood losses here since 2016, 35% of them in buildings with basements. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.
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 Lucas County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 67.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 14.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 8.4% |
| Mapped soil | 223,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Granby | 8% | n/a |
| Ottokee | 8% | n/a |
| Latty | 8% | 97% |
| Tedrow | 6% | n/a |
| Toledo | 5% | n/a |
| Hoytville | 4% | 99% |
How we count · survey areas OH095 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 15% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
On 68% of Lucas 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: 30.77 in, 3.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.19 in.
USDA rates 71% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the March 10, 2026 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
45 flood losses since 2016, $372,800 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 13. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 35% basements, 21% slabs, 32% crawl spaces, 12% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 7 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 8 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.19 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.77 in (-3.42) |
| 2025 | 26.95 in (-7.24) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 49.95 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 21.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TOLEDO EXPRESS AP (18 mi away) | 6.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 200,998 |
| Median year built | 1963 |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,900 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Lucas County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkey | 76% | 91% | 117 |
| Harbor View | 96% | 100% | 43 |
| Holland | under 1% | 62% | 738 |
| Maumee | 25% | 52% | 6,217 |
| Oregon | 17% | 84% | 8,673 |
| Ottawa Hills | under 1% | 39% | 1,843 |
| Sylvania | 13% | 55% | 8,008 |
| Toledo | 2% | 41% | 132,728 |
| Waterville | 27% | 71% | 2,563 |
| Whitehouse | 28% | 77% | 2,027 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, MI | 16 mi | 11% | 91% |
| Wood County, OH | 24 mi | 55% | 91% |
| Ottawa County, OH | 25 mi | 50% | 75% |
| Sandusky County, OH | 28 mi | 35% | 80% |
| Fulton County, OH | 34 mi | 17% | 85% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 34 mi | 9% | 79% |
| Henry County, OH | 39 mi | 62% | 96% |
| Seneca County, OH | 43 mi | 26% | 89% |
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