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Old Washington, Ohio
Inside Old Washington's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 38% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 62%, the highest of 9 cities in Guernsey County.
That water-table share is close to Guernsey County's 34%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43768 overlapping the city. Of its 127 homes, 69% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1962.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Guernsey 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 Old Washington
Basement waterproofing in Old Washington: a shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Old Washington's mapped land.
About 100 of Old Washington's 127 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Old Washington city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 62.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 62.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.9% |
| Mapped soil | 430 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Upshur | 27% | 0% |
| Aaron | 20% | n/a |
| Guernsey | 16% | n/a |
| Gilpin | 7% | under 1% |
| Westmoreland | 4% | 0% |
| Berks | 3% | under 1% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.7% by land area here, and 62% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 62% of the mapped land.
On 38% of Old Washington's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Guernsey County
0% of Guernsey 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 Old Washington. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43768 | 95% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Old Washington
| Housing units | 127 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 56% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $131,300 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lore City | 4 mi | 16% | 64% |
| Byesville | 7 mi | 3% | 21% |
| Senecaville | 7 mi | 24% | 67% |
| Cambridge | 8 mi | 5% | 29% |
| Quaker City | 9 mi | 36% | 59% |
| Pleasant City | 11 mi | 21% | 68% |
| Fairview | 11 mi | 40% | 31% |
| Batesville | 12 mi | 59% | 37% |
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