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University Heights, Ohio
Inside University Heights' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 32% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
That water-table share is below Cuyahoga County's 51%. USDA doesn't rate the 56% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44118 overlapping the city. Of its 5,007 homes, 94% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1949.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cuyahoga 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 University Heights
Basement waterproofing in University Heights: a shallow water table limits basements on 32% of University Heights' mapped land, and the ZIP code overlapping University Heights logged 1 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
In Cuyahoga County, 47% of the 90 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 3,900 of University Heights' 5,007 homes are detached houses.
Soil under University Heights city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 32.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 34.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 55.7% |
| Mapped soil | 1,168 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 32% of University Heights' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Cuyahoga County
0% of Cuyahoga 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 University Heights. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44118 | 95% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in University Heights
| Housing units | 5,007 |
| Median year built | 1949 |
| Built before 1980 | 94% |
| Built 2000 or later | 2% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $242,700 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaker Heights | 1 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Cleveland Heights | 2 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Beachwood | 2 mi | 0% | 58% |
| South Euclid | 2 mi | 0% | 31% |
| Lyndhurst | 3 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Highland Hills | 3 mi | 0% | 80% |
| East Cleveland | 3 mi | 0% | 14% |
| Woodmere | 4 mi | 0% | 45% |
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