Water damage restoration · Worthington, Ohio
Water damage restoration in Worthington, OH
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Worthington-area ZIPs: 60 flood claims since 1979[1]; 83% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Worthington, in Franklin County — ZIP 43085, counts 14,543 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Worthington at a glance for water damage
- Population (2025 est.)
- 14,543[3]-1.6% since 2020
- County
- Franklin[3]
- Land area
- 5.5 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 60 since 1979[1]$367,035 paid across 43 claims · ZIP 43085
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 43[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
- 83%[2]the 2nd-highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 17%[2]2020–2024
What the local data means for water damage in Worthington
Worthington is one of the most established suburbs tracked here — 14,543 people (2025 estimate), down just 1.6% since 2020[3]. The city spans 5.5 square miles at 2,657 residents per square mile (the 8th densest) and sits entirely in Franklin County, served by ZIP code 43085[4].
Worthington mixes 5% of homes built since 2010 and 83% 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.
One ZIP code covers the whole city: 43085[7].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Upper Arlington (5.5 mi SW), Powell (5.9 mi NW) and Westerville (5.9 mi E)[4].
60 flood-insurance claims have come from Worthington-area ZIP codes (43085) since 1979, and $367,035 has been paid on them (about $8,536 per paid claim)[1]. 1979 was the worst year, with 24 claims. That is the 7th-fewest of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Upper Arlington (76), Powell (32), and Westerville (71). Of the 39 claims rated in a flood zone, 16 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 23 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Worthington-area flood claims cluster in June (22), July (5), and September (23) — 50 of 60 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Worthington, weather observers filed 43 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (13 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 4 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides (DR-1580, 2004)[6]. Nearby: Upper Arlington (46), Powell (32), and Westerville (35).
83% of Worthington's 6,406 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 2nd-highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover (Upper Arlington (84%), Powell (4%), and Westerville (46%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
Freeze days in the franklin zone: 68 in 2016–2025, latest Dec 13, 2025[5]. Nearby: Upper Arlington (68), Powell (55), and Westerville (68).
83% of Worthington households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Out of the 15 suburbs on this site, Worthington has the 2nd-highest pre-1980 housing share (83%)[2], the 2nd-lowest renter share (17%)[2], and the 3rd-oldest housing (by median year built) (1963, tied with Lancaster and Newark)[2].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Leaked water spreads outward and wicks up drywall the longer it runs.
Worthington storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Worthington, 2016–2025: 13 flash-flood reports and 30 flood reports[5]. Peak: 70% in May, June, and July. Busiest year 2020 (8); 1 of 10 years had none. Busiest month May 2020 (6). Latest: flood report, Apr 2, 2024, 9.3 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Mar | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Apr | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| May | 2 | 7 | – | 9 |
| Jun | 5 | 4 | – | 9 |
| Jul | 4 | 8 | – | 12 |
| Aug | – | 8 | – | 8 |
| Sep | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
Get water damage help in Worthington
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Worthington area — ZIP code 43085.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Worthington homes by building type
With 79%[2] of homes detached, most Worthington 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): 428 of 6,406 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 5,048 | 78.8% | ±277 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 428 | 6.7% | ±123 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 22 | 0.3% | ±25 |
| 3–4 units | 300 | 4.7% | ±116 |
| 5–9 units | 142 | 2.2% | ±78 |
| 10–19 units | 130 | 2.0% | ±72 |
| 20–49 units | 47 | 0.7% | ±36 |
| 50 or more units | 289 | 4.5% | ±138 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Worthington page
| Measure | Worthington | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built before 1980 | 83% | 42% | 41 pts higher |
| Renter-occupied | 17% | 29% | 12 pts lower |
| Median home value | $440,500 | $339,600 | 30% higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 43 | 35 | 8 more |
| Owner-occupied | 83% | 71% | 12 pts higher |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 60 | 68 | 8 fewer |
| Median year built | 1963 | 1985 | 22 years older |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worthington | 60 | 43 | 68 | 83% | 17% |
| Upper Arlington 5.5 mi | 76 | 46 | 68 | 84% | 21% |
| Powell 5.9 mi | 32 | 32 | 55 | 4% | 12% |
| Westerville 5.9 mi | 71 | 35 | 68 | 46% | 28% |
| Dublin 6.7 mi | 26 | 19 | 68 | 11% | 23% |
| Hilliard 8.4 mi | 7 | 29 | 68 | 21% | 31% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43085 | 60 | $367,035 | 1979 (24) | 23 of 39 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 1995 | 10 |
| 1992 | 5 |
| 1990 | 6 |
| 1981 | 8 |
| 1979 | 24 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 2 |
| February | 1 |
| May | 3 |
| June | 22 |
| July | 5 |
| August | 1 |
| September | 23 |
| December | 3 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2024 | Flood | 9.3 mi |
| Jul 24, 2023 | Flood | 7.1 mi |
| May 12, 2023 | Flood | 9.2 mi |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Flood | 4.4 mi |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Flood | 2.4 mi |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Flood | 7.2 mi |
| Jul 17, 2022 | Flood | 8.9 mi |
| Jul 6, 2022 | Flood | 8.6 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Worthington's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 43085 | 91% | 68% |
Common Worthington water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Worthington?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Worthington-area ZIPs have 6 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Worthington ZIP codes do these crews cover?
43085[7], in Franklin County. Nearby pages: Upper Arlington (5.5 mi), Powell (5.9 mi), and Westerville (5.9 mi)[4].
When was the last flood report near Worthington?
Apr 2, 2024: a flood report 9.3 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Worthington homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
83% of Worthington's housing units were built before 1980, 38.5% before 1960[2] — the 2nd-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.