Portage County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 78% of Portage County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Portage County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.7% |
| Mapped soil | 322,695 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH133 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 78% of Portage 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: 43.24 in, 2.15 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.09 in.
USDA rates 93% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| 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
11 flood losses since 2016, $232,015 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.09 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.24 in (+2.15) |
| 2025 | 40.35 in (-0.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 58.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 25.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RAVENNA 2 S (5 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 71,325 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $227,000 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Portage County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | under 1% | 89% | 7,400 |
| Garrettsville | 0% | 73% | 1,290 |
| Hiram | 0% | 91% | 247 |
| Kent | under 1% | 33% | 12,537 |
| Mantua | 0% | 49% | 391 |
| Ravenna | 6% | 74% | 5,427 |
| Streetsboro | under 1% | 76% | 7,615 |
| Sugar Bush Knolls | 0% | 73% | 106 |
| Windham | 0% | 85% | 764 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit County, OH | 18 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Geauga County, OH | 23 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 24 mi | under 1% | 77% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 25 mi | 9% | 77% |
| Stark County, OH | 26 mi | 4% | 60% |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 34 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Columbiana County, OH | 35 mi | 2% | 53% |
| Medina County, OH | 37 mi | 1% | 91% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status