Williams County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 95% of Williams County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 9th highest of 88 Ohio counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Williams County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.2% |
| Mapped soil | 270,784 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH171 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 15% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
On 95% of Williams 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: 32.55 in, 4.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.64 in.
USDA rates 97% 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. Part of the county was in drought in 25 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the December 23, 2025 map.
| 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
3 flood losses since 2016, $24,416 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.55 in (-4.09) |
| 2025 | 30.13 in (-6.51) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 51.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 22.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MORENCI (22 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,564 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $150,000 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Williams County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blakeslee | 12% | 100% | 40 |
| Bryan | 57% | 90% | 4,247 |
| Edgerton | 14% | 57% | 969 |
| Edon | 17% | 99% | 390 |
| Holiday City | 21% | 93% | 14 |
| Montpelier | 13% | 94% | 1,798 |
| Pioneer | 21% | 89% | 543 |
| Stryker | 14% | 98% | 587 |
| West Unity | 27% | 87% | 746 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance County, OH | 18 mi | 49% | 92% |
| Steuben County, IN | 22 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Fulton County, OH | 24 mi | 17% | 85% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 25 mi | 20% | 88% |
| Hillsdale County, MI | 25 mi | 2% | 51% |
| Paulding County, OH | 31 mi | 70% | 96% |
| Henry County, OH | 31 mi | 62% | 96% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 35 mi | 9% | 79% |
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