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Orwell, Ohio
Inside Orwell's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on over 99% of mapped land, the highest of 10 cities in Ashtabula County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
That water-table share is above Ashtabula County's 89%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44076 overlapping the city. Of its 846 homes, 61% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1976.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ashtabula 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 Orwell
Basement waterproofing in Orwell: a shallow water table limits basements on over 99% of Orwell's mapped land, more than in 95% of Ohio cities.
About 300 of Orwell's 846 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Orwell city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 99.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 1,231 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mill | 51% | n/a |
| Platea | 25% | n/a |
| Darien | 16% | n/a |
| Alden | 3% | n/a |
| Pierpont | 2% | n/a |
| Wick | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On over 99% of Orwell'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 Ashtabula County
0% of Ashtabula 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 Orwell. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44076 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Orwell
| Housing units | 846 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 49% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $125,900 |
| Single-family detached | 40% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming Shores | 7 mi | 0% | 74% |
| Rock Creek | 9 mi | 4% | 96% |
| West Farmington | 12 mi | 0% | 77% |
| Middlefield | 12 mi | under 1% | 83% |
| Jefferson | 15 mi | 0% | 95% |
| Burton | 16 mi | 0% | 67% |
| Cortland | 16 mi | 0% | 82% |
| Andover | 16 mi | 0% | 96% |
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