Omaha Basement Water Statistics 2026

Published November 2, 2026 · Sources checked November 2, 2026

Written by Arthur Smelyansky, Publisher, Below Grade · Last updated: November 2, 2026

Omaha's climate record and indoor-humidity guidance describe different parts of a basement-water question. Outdoor precipitation is a station measurement; humidity is an indoor condition that needs its own measurement. This reference collects ten findings on city housing, Eppley climate normals and EPA moisture guidance. It helps homeowners and writers use local context without turning it into a diagnosis. The data do not count Omaha wet basements or establish whether water at a particular property came from groundwater, runoff, condensation or plumbing.

Every finding links to its original publisher. The year in the title is the review year; the data periods remain beside the numbers. For property-level questions, start with our local basement waterproofing guide.

Key Takeaways

• 201,698 households. U.S. Census Bureau (2020-2024 ACS).
• 57.4% owner-occupied. U.S. Census Bureau (2020-2024 ACS).
• 31.86 inches annual precipitation. NOAA NCEI (1991-2020 climate normals).
• May: 4.66 inches. NOAA NCEI (1991-2020 climate normals).
• 27.1 inches annual snowfall. NOAA NCEI (1991-2020 climate normals).
• Below 60% relative humidity; ideally 30-50%. U.S. EPA (Undated guidance; checked November 2, 2026).

Contents

1. How large is the resident household base?
2. Who owns the occupied housing?
3. What is the housing value context?
4. What is the long-run rainfall baseline?
5. When is the wettest average month?
6. How concentrated is the wetter season?
7. How often does heavier daily rain occur?
8. What is the winter exposure?
9. What does the snow baseline add?
10. Which indoor-moisture benchmark belongs beside the local data?
11. Methodology and limits
12. Frequently asked questions
13. Sources

How large is the resident household base?

201,698 households is the Census estimate for Omaha city, Nebraska, based on the 2020-2024 ACS. It describes occupied households across the city rather than a count of detached houses, foundations or basements. U.S. Census Bureau.

This city household count includes different building types and both ownership tenures. It is not a count of houses with basements. Establishing that narrower population would require a dataset that actually records the relevant building characteristic.

Table 1: ACS five-year estimate. U.S. Census Bureau; 2020-2024 ACS. City boundary only; includes renters and non-basement homes. Not a repair-demand count.

Who owns the occupied housing?

57.4% of occupied housing units were owner-occupied in Omaha city, Nebraska in the 2020-2024 ACS. The denominator is occupied housing units; it is not all residents or all buildings. U.S. Census Bureau.

The rate describes owner occupancy within occupied Omaha housing. It does not measure waterproofing need or the share of households able to pay for a project. A property assessment and a defined scope are separate from this demographic context.

Table 2: ACS five-year estimate. U.S. Census Bureau; 2020-2024 ACS. Ownership share does not measure foundation or basement problems.

What is the housing value context?

$245,500 was the median value of owner-occupied housing units in Omaha city, Nebraska in the 2020-2024 ACS. This is a housing-value estimate, not a sale-price series or an estimate of repair cost. U.S. Census Bureau.

The median applies to owner-occupied housing units. It is not the cost of waterproofing, sump equipment or sewer work. Comparing a repair proposal with a citywide property-value median does not establish whether the work or price is appropriate.

Table 3: ACS five-year estimate. U.S. Census Bureau; 2020-2024 ACS. Home value is not repair cost or ability to pay.

What is the long-run rainfall baseline?

31.86 inches is the annual precipitation normal for OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, NE US, station USW00014942, for 1991-2020. Precipitation is a water-equivalent measure, including frozen precipitation; this figure is not an observation for 2026. NOAA NCEI.

Eppley's record is useful for describing long-run precipitation at that station. It is not a measurement of water entering an Omaha basement. Local topography, drainage routes and building conditions require their own evidence.

Table 4: Climate normal. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. Airport station baseline, not a 2026 observation.

When is the wettest average month?

May, at 4.66 inches, has the highest monthly precipitation normal in the 1991-2020 series for OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, NE US. The comparison uses all twelve monthly values from the same station and period. NOAA NCEI.

May has the highest monthly normal in this station series. That comparison helps describe seasonality but does not predict a particular storm, flood or pump duty cycle. The full monthly table makes the comparison inspectable.

Table 5: Monthly normal comparison. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. Average monthly total is not design storm intensity.

Chart: Below Grade, using the linked NOAA monthly series for 1991-2020. Exact values appear in the table.

How concentrated is the wetter season?

22.21 inches is the sum of the March-August precipitation normals for OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, NE US, using 1991-2020 data. This is our calculation from six published monthly values, not a separate NOAA seasonal statistic. NOAA NCEI.

The six-month total summarizes the published monthly series. It does not estimate runoff, infiltration or discharge at a property. Those quantities cannot be recovered simply by adding rainfall amounts from the airport.

Table 6: Derived seasonal sum. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. Sum of six monthly normals; no damage inference.

Calculation: 1.79 + 3.17 + 4.66 + 4.44 + 3.55 + 4.60 = 22.21 inches. Each input is a published monthly normal; no annual share or damage estimate is inferred.

How often does heavier daily rain occur?

7.9 days per year is the station normal for days with at least 1.00 inch of precipitation at OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, NE US, during 1991-2020. It is an average frequency, not a return period or a count of storms expected in a future year. NOAA NCEI.

The threshold frequency is historical weather context. It does not establish how frequently a basement floods or whether a pump is adequately sized. Equipment and drainage decisions need site and system information beyond a daily station total.

Table 7: Climate-normal frequency. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. A historical average frequency, not a forecast or return period.

What is the winter exposure?

134.6 days per year is the normal for days with a minimum air temperature at or below 32°F at OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, NE US, for 1991-2020. The measure counts cold days, not ground freeze-thaw cycles. NOAA NCEI.

This count describes minimum air temperatures, not conditions inside a basement or the number of times ground froze and thawed. It can frame winter context while leaving property-specific maintenance and equipment questions to their actual evidence.

Table 8: Climate-normal frequency. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. Cold days are not a count of ground freeze-thaw cycles.

What does the snow baseline add?

27.1 inches is the annual snowfall normal at Omaha Eppley, for 1991-2020. It describes snowfall depth, which differs from the water-equivalent precipitation measure used earlier on this page. NOAA NCEI.

Snowfall is reported as snow depth accumulated over the period. It must not be added to liquid-equivalent precipitation as though both represented the same volume of water. Nor does it establish the amount of meltwater reaching a house.

Table 9: Climate normal. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. Snowfall depth is not liquid precipitation or basement inflow.

Which indoor-moisture benchmark belongs beside the local data?

Below 60% relative humidity, ideally 30-50%, is EPA's indoor-moisture guidance, checked November 2, 2026. It is a recommended indoor benchmark, not an estimate of humidity measured in Omaha homes. U.S. EPA.

This is national indoor-moisture guidance, not a measured Omaha humidity level. A humidity reading can inform a condensation question, while liquid-water entry or a sewer problem needs a different investigation. Keep the indoor benchmark separate from the outdoor climate record.

Table 10: National guidance benchmark. U.S. EPA; Undated guidance; checked November 2, 2026. National recommendation, not an Omaha measurement. Local sewer-system/permit statistics remain research gaps.

Methodology and limits

Download the source ledger · Read the calculation inputs.

This reference uses primary-publisher material checked on November 2, 2026. The Census entries are 2020-2024 ACS estimates; weather values are 1991-2020 station normals; local documents retain their own dates. Figures were matched to their source rows or document sections. Census QuickFacts was checked against its publisher page; NOAA and EPA source records were also retained for verification. The seasonal sum is calculated above. Ten headline findings are counted once each; repeated summaries, monthly input rows and program dates are supporting detail, not extra headline statistics. Rules and recommendations are labeled separately from measured activity.

Source mix: three Census findings, six NOAA findings and one EPA guideline. The original periods, geography and source links appear beside each number.

What remains unknown: these sources do not establish local average repair prices, the number of affected homes, available jobs, lead volume or a forecast of 2027 repairs. No property diagnosis or project eligibility is inferred.

Changelog: November 2, 2026: published the initial ten-finding reference with dated sources, the monthly table and a reproducible seasonal calculation. The source periods are preserved. Updates will identify changes to the source or explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this page measure how many basements need waterproofing?

No. The 201,698 household figure is a city housing estimate for 2020-2024, not a count of affected buildings. Climate normals, permit totals and guidance thresholds also have different denominators. A repair-demand claim would need an appropriate incident or project dataset. U.S. Census Bureau.

Are the weather figures observations from 2026?

No. The 1991-2020 normals describe the published climate baseline at OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, NE US. The 31.86-inch annual precipitation value is not this year's rainfall. The 2026 page date records when we checked and compiled the sources. NOAA NCEI.

How was the seasonal total calculated?

We added six monthly normals, March through August, from the same NOAA station and 1991-2020 period. The result is 22.21 inches. The inputs and arithmetic appear above and in the downloadable ledger. This is our reproducible sum, not a count of flooding or repair incidents. NOAA NCEI.

Can indoor humidity explain every wet-basement incident?

No. EPA's below-60% RH guidance concerns indoor moisture, with 30-50% described as ideal. It does not identify groundwater, runoff or sewer-entry routes at a property. A humidity reading and the location of liquid-water entry answer different questions. U.S. EPA.

Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau; 2020-2024 ACS. Checked November 2, 2026.
2. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. Checked November 2, 2026.
3. NOAA NCEI; 1991-2020 climate normals. Checked November 2, 2026.
4. U.S. EPA; Undated guidance; checked November 2, 2026. Checked November 2, 2026.

Definitions and project questions

hydrostatic pressure · drain tile · sump pump. These definitions explain the terminology. The glossary also links the other completed entries; a definition does not replace a property assessment.

Cite this resource

Suggested citation: Arthur Smelyansky. “Omaha Basement Water Statistics 2026.” Below Grade. Updated November 2, 2026. https://belowgradeguide.com/omaha-basement-water-statistics/

When citing a specific number, retain its original publisher, geography and data period. Link to this page and the original source when using a figure.