Paulding County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Paulding County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 4th highest of 88 Ohio counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 70%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Paulding County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 70.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 96.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 52.5% |
| Mapped soil | 268,160 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH125 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 52% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 70% of the mapped land.
On 96% of Paulding County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.61 in, 4.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.48 in.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the March 24, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $63,321 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.48 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.61 in (-4.87) |
| 2025 | 30.33 in (-7.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 51.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 24.64 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAULDING (1 mi away) | 7.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,551 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,800 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Paulding County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance County, OH | 15 mi | 49% | 92% |
| Van Wert County, OH | 18 mi | 64% | 99% |
| Putnam County, OH | 24 mi | 66% | 96% |
| Allen County, IN | 26 mi | 38% | 88% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 29 mi | 20% | 88% |
| Henry County, OH | 30 mi | 62% | 96% |
| Williams County, OH | 31 mi | 22% | 95% |
| Adams County, IN | 32 mi | 45% | 97% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status