HomeOhioDarke CountyNew Madison
New Madison, Ohio
Inside New Madison's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 61% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
That water-table share is below Darke County's 96%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45346 overlapping the city. Of its 356 homes, 95% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1950.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Darke County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in New Madison
Basement waterproofing in New Madison: a shallow water table limits basements on 61% of New Madison's mapped land.
About 300 of New Madison's 356 homes are detached houses.
Soil under New Madison city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.8% |
| Mapped soil | 304 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 61% of New Madison's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates over 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Darke County
0% of Darke 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 Madison. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45346 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in New Madison
| Housing units | 356 |
| Median year built | 1950 |
| Built before 1980 | 95% |
| Built 2000 or later | 3% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $109,900 |
| Single-family detached | 93% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Lakes | 4 mi | under 1% | 14% |
| Eldorado | 5 mi | 20% | 99% |
| Hollansburg | 5 mi | 15% | 100% |
| Castine | 5 mi | 20% | over 99% |
| Palestine | 6 mi | 1% | 94% |
| West Manchester | 6 mi | 24% | 91% |
| Arcanum | 8 mi | 34% | 100% |
| New Paris | 9 mi | 9% | 35% |
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