Shelby County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 94% of Shelby County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 59% 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 Shelby County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.1% |
| Mapped soil | 262,912 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH149 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 2% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 24% of the mapped land.
On 94% of Shelby 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: 41.43 in, 0.47 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 40.96 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the October 21, 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
6 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.43 in (+0.47) |
| 2025 | 37.73 in (-3.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 55.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 24.16 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SIDNEY 1 S (5 mi away) | 9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,149 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $208,100 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Shelby County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna | 22% | 97% | 656 |
| Botkins | 20% | 89% | 427 |
| Fort Loramie | 30% | 99% | 550 |
| Jackson Center | 30% | 99% | 593 |
| Kettlersville | 40% | 99% | 43 |
| Lockington | 1% | 79% | 61 |
| Port Jefferson | 2% | 30% | 195 |
| Russia | 31% | 99% | 262 |
| Sidney | 8% | 59% | 9,433 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auglaize County, OH | 16 mi | 29% | 94% |
| Miami County, OH | 20 mi | 18% | 81% |
| Logan County, OH | 23 mi | 26% | 81% |
| Darke County, OH | 26 mi | 26% | 96% |
| Mercer County, OH | 26 mi | 37% | 95% |
| Champaign County, OH | 26 mi | 13% | 83% |
| Allen County, OH | 31 mi | 31% | 93% |
| Hardin County, OH | 36 mi | 35% | 97% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status