Wayne County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Wayne County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 22 flood losses here since 2016. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Wayne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 66.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 356,704 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH169 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 66% of Wayne 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: 37.06 in, 3.08 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.14 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
22 flood losses since 2016, $2.1 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 18.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.14 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.06 in (-3.08) |
| 2025 | 36.04 in (-4.10) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 54.12 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 24.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WOOSTER EXP STATION (4 mi away) | 7.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 46,954 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $222,100 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Wayne County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Creek | 1% | 57% | 413 |
| Burbank | under 1% | 62% | 120 |
| Congress | 0% | 99% | 42 |
| Creston | 11% | 82% | 995 |
| Dalton | 1% | 82% | 703 |
| Doylestown | 0% | 53% | 1,292 |
| Fredericksburg | 0% | 21% | 188 |
| Marshallville | under 1% | 99% | 292 |
| Mount Eaton | 0% | 28% | 66 |
| Orrville | 1% | 67% | 3,550 |
| Rittman | 2% | 75% | 2,532 |
| Shreve | under 1% | 25% | 681 |
| Smithville | under 1% | 72% | 612 |
| West Salem | under 1% | 92% | 523 |
| Wooster | 2% | 42% | 12,114 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holmes County, OH | 18 mi | under 1% | 62% |
| Medina County, OH | 20 mi | 1% | 91% |
| Ashland County, OH | 20 mi | 1% | 63% |
| Stark County, OH | 27 mi | 4% | 60% |
| Summit County, OH | 27 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Tuscarawas County, OH | 34 mi | 7% | 42% |
| Richland County, OH | 34 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Coshocton County, OH | 37 mi | 3% | 46% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status