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Oberlin, Ohio
Inside Oberlin's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 99% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 16 cities in Lorain County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
That water-table share is above Lorain County's 91%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44074 overlapping the city. Of its 2,728 homes, 65% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Lorain 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 Oberlin
Basement waterproofing in Oberlin: a shallow water table limits basements on 99% of Oberlin's mapped land, more than in 93% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Oberlin logged 3 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Lorain County, 65% of the 60 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 1,800 of Oberlin's 2,728 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Oberlin city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 98.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 3,418 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 99% of Oberlin's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Lorain County
0% of Lorain 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 Oberlin. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44074 | 100% | 3 | $61,507 |
Homes in Oberlin
| Housing units | 2,728 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $225,600 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kipton | 4 mi | 0% | 98% |
| South Amherst | 4 mi | 7% | 82% |
| LaGrange | 7 mi | 0% | over 99% |
| Amherst | 9 mi | 5% | 74% |
| Wellington | 9 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Wakeman | 9 mi | under 1% | 85% |
| Elyria | 9 mi | 8% | 72% |
| Vermilion | 10 mi | 4% | 85% |
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