HomeOhioGallia CountyRio Grande
Rio Grande, Ohio
Inside Rio Grande's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 54% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 6 cities in Gallia County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%, the highest of 6 cities in Gallia County.
That water-table share is above Gallia County's 26%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 307 homes, 36% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Gallia County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Rio Grande
Basement waterproofing in Rio Grande: a shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Rio Grande's mapped land, and the 2 ZIP codes overlapping Rio Grande logged 1 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
About 100 of Rio Grande's 307 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Rio Grande city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.7% |
| Mapped soil | 886 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.3% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
On 54% of Rio Grande's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Gallia County
0% of Gallia 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 Rio Grande. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45674 | 83% | 1 | $7,547 |
| 45614 | 17% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Rio Grande
| Housing units | 307 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 24% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $186,800 |
| Single-family detached | 36% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centerville (Thurman) | 4 mi | 1% | 79% |
| Vinton | 7 mi | 10% | 41% |
| Oak Hill | 10 mi | 13% | 77% |
| Gallipolis | 11 mi | 15% | 33% |
| Wilkesville | 14 mi | 13% | 76% |
| Cheshire | 15 mi | 7% | 25% |
| Rutland | 17 mi | 40% | 32% |
| Jackson | 18 mi | 10% | 70% |
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