Sinkhole risk in Jennings County, IN: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 53%
At or near the surface: 7%
Buried under cover: 46%

What this means before you buy

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 200 of Jennings County's 377 square miles on soluble rock, 27 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 27,634 residents (73 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 288 map points about 1.1 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: why the 46% under cover still counts, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Jennings County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Washington County, IN, about 38 miles southwest, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 3 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Jefferson County, IN 18 mi southeast · 16% at surface
Bartholomew County, IN 20 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Ripley County, IN 21 mi east · 6% at surface
Decatur County, IN 22 mi north · 2% at surface
Scott County, IN 23 mi south · 2% at surface
Jackson County, IN 23 mi west · 2% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Muscatatuck Group (limestone), Devonian in age, covering about 38% of the county. Next is the Louisville Limestone through Brassfield Limestone at 13%.

Against the rest of Indiana

Jennings County ranks 16 of 92 in Indiana for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 65% of US counties on that measure.