Morgan County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Morgan County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 22 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 Morgan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 23.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.8% |
| Mapped soil | 269,888 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gilpin | 17% | under 1% |
| Lowell | 14% | 4% |
| Upshur | 13% | 0% |
| Westgate | 11% | n/a |
| Guernsey | 9% | n/a |
| Westmoreland | 5% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas OH115 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 38% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
On 23% of Morgan 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: 47.35 in, 4.51 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 42.84 in.
USDA rates 87% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
22 flood losses since 2016, $422,939 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.84 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.35 in (+4.51) |
| 2025 | 42.69 in (-0.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 59.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.50 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROSEVILLE (17 mi away) | 9.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,320 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $150,900 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Morgan County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterhill | 28% | 21% | 122 |
| Malta | 21% | 31% | 297 |
| McConnelsville | 30% | 19% | 920 |
| Stockport | 4% | 5% | 289 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, OH | 22 mi | 13% | 42% |
| Athens County, OH | 22 mi | 29% | 27% |
| Washington County, OH | 23 mi | 40% | 19% |
| Noble County, OH | 24 mi | 31% | 18% |
| Muskingum County, OH | 24 mi | 17% | 39% |
| Wood County, WV | 33 mi | 45% | 21% |
| Hocking County, OH | 34 mi | 14% | 36% |
| Guernsey County, OH | 36 mi | 23% | 34% |
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