Summit County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 63% of Summit County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the November 3, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 119 flood losses here since 2016, 75% of them in buildings with basements. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, November 3, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Summit County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 62.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.8% |
| Urban land, not rated | 6.4% |
| Mapped soil | 268,807 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH153 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 63% of Summit 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: 41.07 in, 1.88 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 39.19 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, November 3, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 57.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
119 flood losses since 2016, $2.4 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 46. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 75% basements, 17% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 4% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 39 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 46 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.19 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.07 in (+1.88) |
| 2025 | 36.89 in (-2.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 57.88 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 23.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RAVENNA 2 S (13 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 247,924 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $208,700 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Summit County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 1% | 34% | 93,741 |
| Barberton | 0% | 26% | 11,905 |
| Boston Heights | 3% | 87% | 555 |
| Clinton | 1% | 53% | 496 |
| Cuyahoga Falls | 4% | 68% | 24,559 |
| Fairlawn | 1% | 59% | 3,620 |
| Green | 1% | 43% | 11,578 |
| Hudson | 5% | 87% | 8,359 |
| Lakemore | 1% | 18% | 1,483 |
| Macedonia | 1% | 75% | 4,878 |
| Mogadore | 0% | 29% | 1,644 |
| Munroe Falls | 0% | 49% | 2,210 |
| New Franklin | under 1% | 65% | 5,901 |
| Northfield | 0% | 65% | 1,575 |
| Norton | under 1% | 76% | 5,199 |
| Peninsula | 9% | 73% | 295 |
| Reminderville | 46% | 89% | 2,469 |
| Richfield | under 1% | 89% | 1,620 |
| Silver Lake | 0% | 43% | 1,051 |
| Stow | 2% | 81% | 15,394 |
| Tallmadge | 1% | 73% | 7,676 |
| Twinsburg | 4% | 76% | 8,063 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County, OH | 18 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Medina County, OH | 19 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Stark County, OH | 23 mi | 4% | 60% |
| Wayne County, OH | 27 mi | 2% | 66% |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 30 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Geauga County, OH | 32 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Lorain County, OH | 40 mi | 3% | 91% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 41 mi | 9% | 77% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status