HomeOhioHarrison CountyNew Athens
New Athens, Ohio
Inside New Athens' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 3% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%, the 2nd-highest of 9 cities in Harrison County.
That water-table share is below Harrison County's 29%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 144 homes, 62% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Harrison 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 New Athens
Basement waterproofing in New Athens: a shallow water table limits basements on 3% of New Athens' mapped land.
About 100 of New Athens' 144 homes are detached houses.
Soil under New Athens city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 185 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.0% by land area here, and 1% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Harrison County
0% of Harrison 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 New Athens. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43981 | 82% | 0 | $0 |
| 43907 | 18% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in New Athens
| Housing units | 144 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $123,600 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flushing | 4 mi | 21% | 13% |
| Cadiz | 5 mi | 58% | 26% |
| Harrisville | 6 mi | 25% | 59% |
| Adena | 7 mi | 25% | 28% |
| Holloway | 7 mi | 21% | 22% |
| St. Clairsville | 9 mi | 37% | 41% |
| Morristown | 9 mi | 28% | 34% |
| Mount Pleasant | 10 mi | 19% | 13% |
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