Water damage restoration · Upper Arlington, Ohio
Water damage restoration in Upper Arlington, OH
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Upper Arlington-area ZIPs: 76 flood claims since 1978[1]; 84% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Upper Arlington, in Franklin County — ZIPs 43221, 43220, counts 35,893 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Upper Arlington water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 35,893[3]-2.4% since 2020
- County
- Franklin[3]
- Land area
- 9.8 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 76 since 1978[1]$190,158 paid across 57 claims · ZIP 43221, 43220
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 46[5]2016–2025 · latest Apr 2, 2024
- Winter-storm & freeze days, franklin zone
- 68[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Franklin Co.
- 4[6]of 14 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 84%[2]the highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 21%[2]2020–2024
What Upper Arlington's numbers say about water damage
Upper Arlington is one of the most established suburbs tracked here — 35,893 people (2025 estimate), down just 2.4% since 2020[3]. It covers 9.8 square miles (3,660 residents per square mile, the 3rd densest), sits entirely in Franklin County, in ZIP codes 43221, 43220[4].
Upper Arlington mixes 5% of homes built since 2010 and 84% before 1980[2]: new supply lines and water heaters in one house, aging pipe and original valves in the next — so where a leak starts depends a lot on the address.
2 ZIP codes cover Upper Arlington — 43221 (53% of the city's land), 43220 (42% of the city's land)[7].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Hilliard (4.6 mi W), Worthington (5.5 mi NE) and Dublin (7.1 mi NW)[4].
76 flood-insurance claims have come from Upper Arlington-area ZIP codes (43221, 43220) since 1978, and $190,158 has been paid on them (about $3,336 per paid claim)[1]. 1979 was the worst year, with 46 claims. That is the 6th-most of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Hilliard (7), Worthington (60), and Dublin (26). Of the 23 claims rated in a flood zone, 12 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 11 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Upper Arlington-area flood claims cluster in June (6), July (8), and September (46) — 60 of 76 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Upper Arlington, weather observers filed 46 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (12 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 4 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides (DR-1580, 2004)[6]. Nearby: Hilliard (29), Worthington (43), and Dublin (19).
84% of Upper Arlington's 14,936 housing units predate 1980[2] — the highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover (Hilliard (21%), Worthington (83%), and Dublin (11%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
79% of Upper Arlington households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Among the 15 suburbs tracked here, Upper Arlington stands out for the highest pre-1980 housing share (84%)[2], the oldest housing (by median year built) (1959)[2], the highest median home value ($595,600)[2], and the 3rd-lowest renter share (21%)[2].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Water on the move: it spreads across floors and wicks upward into drywall until it is stopped.
Upper Arlington storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Upper Arlington, 2016–2025: 12 flash-flood reports and 34 flood reports[5]. Peak: 76% in May, July, and August. Busiest year 2020 (9); 1 of 10 years had none. Busiest month May 2020 (7). Latest: flood report, Apr 2, 2024, 8.9 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Mar | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Apr | – | 3 | – | 3 |
| May | 2 | 9 | – | 11 |
| Jun | 3 | 3 | – | 6 |
| Jul | 4 | 6 | – | 10 |
| Aug | 2 | 12 | – | 14 |
water damage help in Upper Arlington: what to do next
Your request reaches Water damage restoration contractors who serve Upper Arlington (ZIP codes 43221, 43220).
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Upper Arlington homes by building type
With 74%[2] of homes detached, most Upper Arlington water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is attached house (townhouse, rowhouse): 1,454 of 14,936 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 11,010 | 73.7% | ±484 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 1,454 | 9.7% | ±270 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 182 | 1.2% | ±74 |
| 3–4 units | 962 | 6.4% | ±204 |
| 5–9 units | 368 | 2.5% | ±145 |
| 10–19 units | 156 | 1.0% | ±129 |
| 20–49 units | 34 | 0.2% | ±33 |
| 50 or more units | 764 | 5.1% | ±252 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 6 | 0.0% | ±11 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Upper Arlington page
| Measure | Upper Arlington | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built before 1980 | 84% | 42% | 42 pts higher |
| Median home value | $595,600 | $339,600 | 75% higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 46 | 35 | 11 more |
| Renter-occupied | 21% | 29% | 9 pts lower |
| Owner-occupied | 79% | 71% | 9 pts higher |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 76 | 68 | 8 more |
| Median year built | 1959 | 1985 | 26 years older |
Largest differences first. Medians are the middle value across the covered Columbus-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Freeze days | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Arlington | 76 | 46 | 68 | 84% | 21% |
| Hilliard 4.6 mi | 7 | 29 | 68 | 21% | 31% |
| Worthington 5.5 mi | 60 | 43 | 68 | 83% | 17% |
| Dublin 7.1 mi | 26 | 19 | 68 | 11% | 23% |
| Powell 9.7 mi | 32 | 32 | 55 | 4% | 12% |
| Gahanna 10.1 mi | 68 | 58 | 68 | 42% | 29% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43221 | 39 | $46,115 | 1979 (33) | 2 of 4 |
| 43220 | 37 | $144,043 | 1979 (13) | 9 of 19 |
ZIPs extend past city limits. Outside high-risk zones: claims rated in zone B, C or X, of the claims that carry a zone.
| Year | Claims |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 1997 | 2 |
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1993 | 1 |
| 1992 | 2 |
| 1989 | 3 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 1 |
| February | 1 |
| March | 3 |
| April | 2 |
| May | 4 |
| June | 6 |
| July | 8 |
| August | 2 |
| September | 46 |
| November | 2 |
| December | 1 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2024 | Flood | 5.6 mi |
| Apr 2, 2024 | Flood | 8.9 mi |
| Jul 24, 2023 | Flood | 10.0 mi |
| May 12, 2023 | Flood | 8.6 mi |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Flood | 9.4 mi |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Flood | 6.0 mi |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Flood | 2.8 mi |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Flood | 8.4 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Upper Arlington's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 43221 | 53% | 55% |
| 43220 | 42% | 62% |
Common Upper Arlington water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Upper Arlington?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Upper Arlington-area ZIPs have 5 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Upper Arlington ZIP codes do these crews cover?
43221 and 43220[7], in Franklin County. Nearby pages: Hilliard (4.6 mi), Worthington (5.5 mi), and Dublin (7.1 mi)[4].
Which Upper Arlington ZIP code has the most flood claims?
43221, with 39 NFIP claims and $46,115 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Upper Arlington?
Apr 2, 2024: a flood report 5.6 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Upper Arlington homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
84% of Upper Arlington's housing units were built before 1980, 54.9% before 1960[2] — the highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover. Older supply lines and original shut-off valves are common failure points — know where your main shut-off is before you need it.
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.