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Thurston, Ohio
Inside Thurston's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 87% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 14 cities in Fairfield County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%, the 3rd-highest of 14 cities in Fairfield County.
That water-table share is above Fairfield County's 60%. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 234 homes, 67% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Fairfield County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Thurston
Basement waterproofing in Thurston: a shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Thurston's mapped land, more than in 74% of Ohio cities, and the 2 ZIP codes overlapping Thurston logged 4 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Fairfield County, 37% of the 41 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 200 of Thurston's 234 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Thurston city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.1% |
| Mapped soil | 260 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington | 22% | 99% |
| Marengo | 15% | n/a |
| Centerburg | 12% | over 99% |
| Canal | 10% | n/a |
| Minster | 10% | n/a |
| McGary | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
On 87% of Thurston's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Fairfield County
0% of Fairfield 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 Thurston. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43157 | 66% | 0 | $0 |
| 43105 | 34% | 4 | $59,288 |
Homes in Thurston
| Housing units | 234 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,500 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasantville | 3 mi | 0% | 96% |
| Baltimore | 3 mi | 18% | 84% |
| Millersport | 4 mi | 0% | 75% |
| Buckeye Lake | 7 mi | 2% | 85% |
| Kirkersville | 7 mi | 0% | 87% |
| West Rushville | 7 mi | 0% | 97% |
| Thornville | 8 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Rushville | 8 mi | 1% | 14% |
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