HomeOhioPreble CountyWest Alexandria
West Alexandria, Ohio
Inside West Alexandria's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 78% of mapped land, higher than 64% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%, the 5th-highest of 11 cities in Preble County.
That water-table share is below Preble County's 86%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45381 overlapping the city. Of its 664 homes, 82% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1951.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Preble 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 West Alexandria
Basement waterproofing in West Alexandria: a shallow water table limits basements on 78% of West Alexandria's mapped land, more than in 64% of Ohio cities.
About 500 of West Alexandria's 664 homes are detached houses.
Soil under West Alexandria city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 556 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 1% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 78% of West Alexandria's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Preble County
0% of Preble 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 West Alexandria. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45381 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in West Alexandria
| Housing units | 664 |
| Median year built | 1951 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $154,300 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eaton | 5 mi | 19% | 89% |
| Gratis | 7 mi | 7% | 88% |
| Lewisburg | 7 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Farmersville | 7 mi | 18% | 95% |
| New Lebanon | 8 mi | 31% | 95% |
| Brookville | 9 mi | 30% | 96% |
| Camden | 10 mi | 1% | 33% |
| Verona | 11 mi | 28% | 97% |
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