HomeOhioCuyahoga CountyRocky River
Rocky River, Ohio
Inside Rocky River's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 35% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
That water-table share is below Cuyahoga County's 51%. USDA doesn't rate the 36% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44116 overlapping the city. Of its 10,438 homes, 81% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1962.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cuyahoga 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 Rocky River
Basement waterproofing in Rocky River: a shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Rocky River's mapped land, and the ZIP code overlapping Rocky River logged 3 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
The city lists a permit for the work.
In Cuyahoga County, 47% of the 90 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 5,800 of Rocky River's 10,438 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Rocky River lists waterproofing among the projects that need plan approval from its building department. (City of Rocky River Building Department, read October 2, 2026) |
| Contractor registration | Rocky River tells property owners to make sure any contractor doing the work is registered with the city and has the required permits. (City of Rocky River Building Department) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Rocky River city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 40.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 35.6% |
| Mapped soil | 3,026 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Haskins | 10% | n/a |
| Hornell | 9% | n/a |
| Allis | 6% | n/a |
| Jimtown | 5% | n/a |
| Elnora | 5% | n/a |
| Brecksville | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 35% of Rocky River's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Cuyahoga County
0% of Cuyahoga 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 Rocky River. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44116 | 100% | 3 | $2,692 |
Homes in Rocky River
| Housing units | 10,438 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 81% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $349,300 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Park | 2 mi | 0% | 29% |
| Lakewood | 3 mi | 0% | 17% |
| Bay Village | 4 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Westlake | 4 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Linndale | 5 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Brook Park | 5 mi | 0% | 39% |
| North Olmsted | 5 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Brooklyn | 6 mi | 0% | 43% |
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