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Oak Harbor, Ohio
Inside Oak Harbor's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 77% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 8 cities in Ottawa County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 51%, the 4th-highest of 8 cities in Ottawa County.
That water-table share is close to Ottawa County's 75%. FEMA's flood data list 22 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43449 overlapping the city. Of its 1,243 homes, 80% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1953.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ottawa 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 Oak Harbor
Basement waterproofing in Oak Harbor: a shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Oak Harbor's mapped land, more than in 62% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Oak Harbor logged 22 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Ottawa County, 9% of the 75 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 900 of Oak Harbor's 1,243 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Oak Harbor city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 50.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,116 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 44% | n/a |
| Nappanee | 24% | n/a |
| St. Clair | 6% | n/a |
| Fulton | 3% | n/a |
| Lenawee | 2% | n/a |
| Hoytville | 1% | 99% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 48% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 51% of the mapped land.
On 77% of Oak Harbor's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Ottawa County
0% of Ottawa 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 Oak Harbor. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43449 | 100% | 22 | $301,560 |
Homes in Oak Harbor
| Housing units | 1,243 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $142,200 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ridge | 4 mi | 65% | 88% |
| Lindsey | 7 mi | 3% | 91% |
| Elmore | 9 mi | 4% | 76% |
| Port Clinton | 10 mi | 53% | 62% |
| Fremont | 11 mi | 4% | 73% |
| Genoa | 12 mi | 55% | 78% |
| Woodville | 12 mi | 47% | 81% |
| Gibsonburg | 13 mi | 30% | 47% |
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