Sinkhole risk in Ohio 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: 29%
At or near the surface: 12%
Buried under cover: 18%

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 25 of Ohio County's 86 square miles on soluble rock, 10 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 5,996 residents (70 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 249 map points about 0.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: why the 18% under cover still counts, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Ohio County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Kenton County, KY, about 23 miles east, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Switzerland County, IN 9 mi southwest · 13% at surface
Boone County, KY 12 mi east · 16% at surface
Gallatin County, KY 14 mi southeast · 22% at surface
Dearborn County, IN 14 mi north · 10% at surface
Ripley County, IN 19 mi northwest · 6% at surface
Carroll County, KY 21 mi southwest · 19% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Kope Formation (shale), Ordovician in age, covering about 29% of the county.

Against the rest of Indiana

Ohio County ranks 14 of 92 in Indiana for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 69% of US counties on that measure.