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Monroe, Ohio
Inside Monroe's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 41% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 10 cities in Butler County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%, the highest of 10 cities in Butler County.
That water-table share is above Butler County's 30%. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 5,391 homes, 28% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2001.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Butler 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 Monroe
Basement waterproofing in Monroe: a shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Monroe's mapped land, and the 3 ZIP codes overlapping Monroe logged 30 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Butler County, 68% of the 44 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 4,800 of Monroe's 5,391 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Monroe city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 21.2% |
| Mapped soil | 10,117 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 13% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
On 41% of Monroe's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Butler County
0% of Butler 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 Monroe. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45050 | 50% | 5 | $204,231 |
| 45044 | 38% | 11 | $141,462 |
| 45036 | 12% | 14 | $444,535 |
Homes in Monroe
| Housing units | 5,391 |
| Median year built | 2001 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 53% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $282,400 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middletown | 4 mi | 3% | 14% |
| Trenton | 6 mi | 1% | 4% |
| Mason | 7 mi | 4% | 41% |
| Franklin | 8 mi | 2% | 27% |
| Lebanon | 8 mi | 16% | 27% |
| Carlisle | 9 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| South Lebanon | 10 mi | 9% | 25% |
| Jacksonburg | 10 mi | 25% | 75% |
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