Ross County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 61% of Ross County's mapped land, a higher share than 75% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Ross County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 61.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.3% |
| Mapped soil | 443,488 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH141 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 15% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
On 61% of Ross 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: 43.08 in, 0.93 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 42.15 in.
USDA rates 91% 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
5 flood losses since 2016, $109,400 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.15 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.08 in (+0.93) |
| 2025 | 46.30 in (+4.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 58.60 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.60 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAVERLY (15 mi away) | 10.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 32,092 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,500 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Ross County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelphi | 3% | 93% | 163 |
| Bainbridge | 1% | 14% | 306 |
| Chillicothe | 3% | 31% | 10,659 |
| Clarksburg | 11% | 88% | 179 |
| Frankfort | 7% | 44% | 562 |
| Kingston | 8% | 100% | 473 |
| South Salem | 12% | 87% | 69 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County, OH | 17 mi | 17% | 54% |
| Pickaway County, OH | 23 mi | 19% | 72% |
| Fayette County, OH | 27 mi | 37% | 96% |
| Highland County, OH | 31 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Vinton County, OH | 31 mi | 12% | 37% |
| Jackson County, OH | 32 mi | 17% | 53% |
| Hocking County, OH | 33 mi | 14% | 36% |
| Scioto County, OH | 35 mi | 8% | 34% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status