Morrow County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Morrow County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Morrow County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.3% |
| Mapped soil | 260,544 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Centerburg | 15% | over 99% |
| Bennington | 14% | 99% |
| Blount | 11% | over 99% |
| Pewamo | 9% | 99% |
| Cardington | 8% | 99% |
| Glynwood | 6% | over 99% |
How we count · survey areas OH117 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 87% of Morrow 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: 44.04 in, 2.37 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.67 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 12.2% of its area, on the October 28, 2025 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
1 flood losses since 2016, $9,074 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.04 in (+2.37) |
| 2025 | 37.86 in (-3.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 55.91 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 22.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GALION WTR WKS (14 mi away) | 9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,704 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $222,300 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Morrow County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardington | 12% | 96% | 873 |
| Chesterville | 0% | 14% | 75 |
| Edison | 13% | 89% | 172 |
| Fulton | 0% | 95% | 159 |
| Marengo | 0% | 97% | 90 |
| Mount Gilead | 1% | 61% | 1,702 |
| Sparta | 8% | 45% | 48 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, OH | 20 mi | 40% | 92% |
| Delaware County, OH | 20 mi | 23% | 84% |
| Knox County, OH | 21 mi | under 1% | 65% |
| Richland County, OH | 22 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Crawford County, OH | 23 mi | 3% | 93% |
| Union County, OH | 34 mi | 25% | 97% |
| Licking County, OH | 34 mi | 1% | 69% |
| Wyandot County, OH | 35 mi | 30% | 90% |
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