Sandusky County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Sandusky County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Sandusky County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.7% |
| Mapped soil | 267,079 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hoytville | 20% | 99% |
| Toledo | 8% | n/a |
| Kibbie | 8% | n/a |
| Lenawee | 7% | n/a |
| Nappanee | 5% | n/a |
| Haskins | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OH143 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
On 80% of Sandusky 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: 35.01 in, 1.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.06 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the November 4, 2025 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
13 flood losses since 2016, $205,606 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 6 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.06 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.01 in (-1.05) |
| 2025 | 33.13 in (-2.93) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 54.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 19.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FREMONT (2 mi away) | 7.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 26,501 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,700 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Sandusky County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burgoon | 61% | 64% | 70 |
| Clyde | 20% | 76% | 2,979 |
| Fremont | 4% | 73% | 7,550 |
| Gibsonburg | 30% | 47% | 1,077 |
| Green Springs | 12% | 77% | 519 |
| Helena | 45% | 91% | 104 |
| Lindsey | 3% | 91% | 188 |
| Woodville | 47% | 81% | 887 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, OH | 15 mi | 50% | 75% |
| Seneca County, OH | 16 mi | 26% | 89% |
| Wood County, OH | 25 mi | 55% | 91% |
| Lucas County, OH | 28 mi | 19% | 68% |
| Erie County, OH | 29 mi | 6% | 69% |
| Huron County, OH | 32 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Hancock County, OH | 36 mi | 33% | 93% |
| Wyandot County, OH | 37 mi | 30% | 90% |
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