Meigs County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Meigs County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Meigs County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 42.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 42.9% |
| Mapped soil | 276,794 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH105 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.
On 21% of Meigs 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: 43.65 in, 0.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.28 in.
USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 39.2% of its area, on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 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
12 flood losses since 2016, $312,313 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.65 in (-0.63) |
| 2025 | 46.87 in (+2.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 60.44 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.73 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RACINE LOCKS & DAM (13 mi away) | 10.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,675 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $119,300 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Meigs County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middleport | 16% | 22% | 1,084 |
| Pomeroy | 44% | 14% | 823 |
| Racine | 8% | 34% | 548 |
| Rutland | 40% | 32% | 338 |
| Syracuse | 17% | 20% | 379 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens County, OH | 17 mi | 29% | 27% |
| Mason County, WV | 22 mi | 32% | 16% |
| Gallia County, OH | 24 mi | 29% | 26% |
| Jackson County, WV | 26 mi | 47% | 9% |
| Vinton County, OH | 27 mi | 12% | 37% |
| Wood County, WV | 29 mi | 45% | 21% |
| Jackson County, OH | 32 mi | 17% | 53% |
| Wirt County, WV | 35 mi | 50% | 17% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status