HomeOhioBelmont CountySt. Clairsville
St. Clairsville, Ohio
Inside St. Clairsville's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 41% of mapped land, the highest of 14 cities in Belmont County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37%, the highest of 14 cities in Belmont County.
That water-table share is above Belmont County's 18%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43950 overlapping the city. Of its 2,471 homes, 76% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1970.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Belmont 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 St. Clairsville
Basement waterproofing in St. Clairsville: a shallow water table limits basements on 41% of St. Clairsville's mapped land, and the ZIP code overlapping St. Clairsville logged 1 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Belmont County, 52% of the 27 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 1,600 of St. Clairsville's 2,471 homes are detached houses.
Soil under St. Clairsville city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 37.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.4% |
| Mapped soil | 1,562 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lowell | 35% | 4% |
| Westmoreland | 33% | 0% |
| Culleoka | 4% | n/a |
| Fairpoint | 4% | n/a |
| Elba | 3% | n/a |
| Berks | 3% | under 1% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.7% by land area here, and 5% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
On 41% of St. Clairsville's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Belmont County
0% of Belmont 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 St. Clairsville. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43950 | 100% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in St. Clairsville
| Housing units | 2,471 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 3% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,000 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisville | 7 mi | 25% | 59% |
| Brookside | 7 mi | 26% | 24% |
| Bridgeport | 8 mi | 25% | 18% |
| Belmont | 8 mi | 3% | 8% |
| Mount Pleasant | 9 mi | 19% | 13% |
| New Athens | 9 mi | 29% | 3% |
| Bellaire | 9 mi | 15% | 16% |
| Morristown | 9 mi | 28% | 34% |
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