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Magnetic Springs, Ohio
Inside Magnetic Springs' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 97% of mapped land, the highest of 5 cities in Union County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25%, the 2nd-highest of 5 cities in Union County.
That water-table share is close to Union County's 97%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 136 homes, 85% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1939 or earlier.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Union County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Magnetic Springs
Basement waterproofing in Magnetic Springs: a shallow water table limits basements on 97% of Magnetic Springs' mapped land, more than in 88% of Ohio cities.
About 100 of Magnetic Springs' 136 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Magnetic Springs city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 97.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.4% |
| Mapped soil | 142 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.4% by land area here, and under 1% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
On 97% of Magnetic Springs' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Union County
0% of Union County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Magnetic Springs. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43036 | 76% | 0 | $0 |
| 43040 | 25% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Magnetic Springs
| Housing units | 136 |
| Median year built | 1939 or earlier |
| Built before 1980 | 85% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $137,500 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richwood | 5 mi | 7% | 86% |
| Ostrander | 7 mi | 4% | 86% |
| Prospect | 8 mi | 16% | 72% |
| Marysville | 10 mi | 24% | 83% |
| Delaware | 11 mi | 23% | 72% |
| Waldo | 12 mi | 22% | 98% |
| Green Camp | 13 mi | 39% | 84% |
| Shawnee Hills | 15 mi | 6% | 94% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status