HomeOhioRoss CountySouth Salem
South Salem, Ohio
Inside South Salem's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 87% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 7 cities in Ross County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 12%, the highest of 7 cities in Ross County.
That water-table share is above Ross County's 61%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45681 overlapping the city.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ross County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
Basement waterproofing in South Salem
Basement waterproofing in South Salem: a shallow water table limits basements on 87% of South Salem's mapped land, more than in 75% of Ohio cities.
Soil under South Salem city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 11.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 115 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 87% of South Salem's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Ross County
0% of Ross 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 South Salem. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45681 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes
South Salem has fewer than 100 housing units in the ACS 2020-2024 estimates, too few for reliable shares.
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenfield | 4 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Bainbridge | 8 mi | 1% | 14% |
| Frankfort | 8 mi | 7% | 44% |
| Leesburg | 13 mi | 2% | 61% |
| Clarksburg | 14 mi | 11% | 88% |
| New Holland | 15 mi | 23% | 76% |
| Washington Court House | 15 mi | 30% | 96% |
| Highland | 16 mi | 1% | 67% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026). Methods · Data status