Stow, Ohio
Inside Stow's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 81% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 22 cities in Summit County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
That water-table share is above Summit County's 63%. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44224 overlapping the city. Of its 15,394 homes, 53% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1979.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Summit 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 Stow
Basement waterproofing in Stow: a shallow water table limits basements on 81% of Stow's mapped land, more than in 66% of Ohio cities, and the ZIP code overlapping Stow logged 4 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Summit County, 75% of the 75 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 9,900 of Stow's 15,394 homes are detached houses.
| Contractor registration | Stow says all contractors must be registered with the city. (City of Stow Building Department) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Stow city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.0% |
| Mapped soil | 11,069 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 81% of Stow's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Summit County
0% of Summit 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 Stow. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44224 | 98% | 4 | $14,349 |
Homes in Stow
| Housing units | 15,394 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $248,000 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Lake | 2 mi | 0% | 43% |
| Munroe Falls | 3 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Kent | 4 mi | under 1% | 33% |
| Hudson | 4 mi | 5% | 87% |
| Sugar Bush Knolls | 5 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Tallmadge | 5 mi | 1% | 73% |
| Cuyahoga Falls | 6 mi | 4% | 68% |
| Streetsboro | 6 mi | under 1% | 76% |
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