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Wooster, Ohio
Inside Wooster's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 42% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%, the 3rd-highest of 15 cities in Wayne County.
That water-table share is below Wayne County's 66%. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 44691 overlapping the city. Of its 12,114 homes, 61% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Wayne 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 Wooster
Basement waterproofing in Wooster: a shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Wooster's mapped land, and the ZIP code overlapping Wooster logged 10 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
Whether the city requires a permit depends on the job.
About 7,300 of Wooster's 12,114 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Depends on the job. Wooster's building FAQ says structural work on foundations needs a building permit; it doesn't name waterproofing, drain tile or sump work. (City of Wooster Building Standards Division, read October 2, 2026) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Wooster city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 10.1% |
| Mapped soil | 11,198 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Wooster's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 73% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Wayne County
0% of Wayne 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 Wooster. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44691 | 100% | 10 | $1.2 million |
Homes in Wooster
| Housing units | 12,114 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $214,200 |
| Single-family detached | 61% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithville | 5 mi | under 1% | 72% |
| Apple Creek | 7 mi | 1% | 57% |
| Orrville | 8 mi | 1% | 67% |
| Congress | 10 mi | 0% | 99% |
| Fredericksburg | 10 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Shreve | 11 mi | under 1% | 25% |
| Creston | 11 mi | 11% | 82% |
| Marshallville | 12 mi | under 1% | 99% |
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