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Michigan soil by county

Across Michigan's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3% and a shallow water table limits basements on 54%.

Highest clay shares: St. Clair County (23%), Ontonagon County (22%), Chippewa County (15%), Monroe County (11%), Ogemaw County (10%). Highest water-table shares: Midland County (96%), Bay County (96%), Saginaw County (95%), Huron County (93%), Monroe County (91%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 83 counties

Alcona County: 8%Alger County: 0%Allegan County: 0%Alpena County: 5%Antrim County: 0%Arenac County: 6%Baraga County: 1%Barry County: 0%Bay County: 0%Benzie County: 0%Berrien County: 0%Branch County: 0%Calhoun County: 0%Cass County: 0%Charlevoix County: 0%Cheboygan County: 2%Chippewa County: 15%Clare County: 0%Clinton County: 0%Crawford County: 0%Delta County: 0%Dickinson County: 0%Eaton County: 0%Emmet County: 0%Genesee County: 0%Gladwin County: 2%Gogebic County: 1%Grand Traverse County: 0%Gratiot County: 2%Hillsdale County: 2%Houghton County: 2%Huron County: 0%Ingham County: 0%Ionia County: 0%Iosco County: 5%Iron County: 0%Isabella County: 0%Jackson County: 0%Kalamazoo County: 0%Kalkaska County: 1%Kent County: 0%Keweenaw County: 0%Lake County: 0%Lapeer County: 4%Leelanau County: 0%Lenawee County: 9%Livingston County: 0%Luce County: 2%Mackinac County: 4%Macomb County: 9%Manistee County: 0%Marquette County: 0%Mason County: 1%Mecosta County: 1%Menominee County: 0%Midland County: 3%Missaukee County: 3%Monroe County: 11%Montcalm County: 0%Montmorency County: 2%Muskegon County: 0%Newaygo County: 1%Oakland County: 1%Oceana County: 1%Ogemaw County: 10%Ontonagon County: 22%Osceola County: 1%Oscoda County: 4%Otsego County: 0%Ottawa County: 0%Presque Isle County: 1%Roscommon County: 1%Saginaw County: 6%Sanilac County: 1%Schoolcraft County: 0%Shiawassee County: 0%St. Clair County: 23%St. Joseph County: 0%Tuscola County: 0%Van Buren County: 0%Washtenaw County: 7%Wayne County: 6%Wexford County: 0%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Alcona County: 45%Alger County: 50%Allegan County: 54%Alpena County: 74%Antrim County: 16%Arenac County: 76%Baraga County: 53%Barry County: 35%Bay County: 96%Benzie County: 20%Berrien County: 51%Branch County: 61%Calhoun County: 34%Cass County: 26%Charlevoix County: 25%Cheboygan County: 44%Chippewa County: 73%Clare County: 36%Clinton County: 80%Crawford County: 19%Delta County: 60%Dickinson County: 36%Eaton County: 76%Emmet County: 23%Genesee County: 72%Gladwin County: 72%Gogebic County: 84%Grand Traverse County: 18%Gratiot County: 90%Hillsdale County: 51%Houghton County: 66%Huron County: 93%Ingham County: 68%Ionia County: 47%Iosco County: 60%Iron County: 57%Isabella County: 57%Jackson County: 38%Kalamazoo County: 23%Kalkaska County: 28%Kent County: 38%Keweenaw County: 31%Lake County: 20%Lapeer County: 60%Leelanau County: 12%Lenawee County: 79%Livingston County: 37%Luce County: 58%Mackinac County: 68%Macomb County: 80%Manistee County: 25%Marquette County: 46%Mason County: 44%Mecosta County: 33%Menominee County: 60%Midland County: 96%Missaukee County: 40%Monroe County: 91%Montcalm County: 35%Montmorency County: 36%Muskegon County: 45%Newaygo County: 41%Oakland County: 34%Oceana County: 30%Ogemaw County: 39%Ontonagon County: 78%Osceola County: 33%Oscoda County: 21%Otsego County: 21%Ottawa County: 66%Presque Isle County: 53%Roscommon County: 49%Saginaw County: 95%Sanilac County: 78%Schoolcraft County: 69%Shiawassee County: 80%St. Clair County: 90%St. Joseph County: 28%Tuscola County: 84%Van Buren County: 54%Washtenaw County: 54%Wayne County: 66%Wexford County: 18%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in Michigan

Select a column heading to sort.
Alcona County 8% 45% 0% 6 1974
Alger County under 1% 50% 0% 3 1974
Allegan County 0% 54% 0% 12 1982
Alpena County 5% 74% 0% 6 1968
Antrim County under 1% 16% 0% 2 1980
Arenac County 6% 76% 0% 55 1977
Baraga County 1% 53% 0% 0 1973
Barry County 0% 35% 0% 70 1976
Bay County under 1% 96% 0% 86 1963
Benzie County 0% 20% 0% 5 1985
Berrien County 0% 51% 0% 73 1966
Branch County under 1% 61% 0% 13 1969
Calhoun County under 1% 34% 0% 13 1961
Cass County 0% 26% 0% 8 1973
Charlevoix County under 1% 25% 0% 9 1982
Cheboygan County 2% 44% 0% 33 1980
Chippewa County 15% 73% 40% 3 1976
Clare County 0% 36% 8% 2 1976
Clinton County 0% 80% 4% 9 1981
Crawford County under 1% 19% 0% 1 1980
Delta County under 1% 60% 1% 7 1970
Dickinson County 0% 36% 100% 0 1970
Eaton County 0% 76% 0% 19 1977
Emmet County under 1% 23% 0% 6 1985
Genesee County under 1% 72% 81% 53 1969
Gladwin County 2% 72% 1% 11 1980
Gogebic County 1% 84% 95% 3 1955
Grand Traverse County under 1% 18% 0% 30 1986
Gratiot County 2% 90% 14% 8 1966
Hillsdale County 2% 51% 0% 8 1971
Houghton County 2% 66% 0% 4 1960
Huron County 0% 93% 0% 12 1967
Ingham County 0% 68% 0% 81 1971
Ionia County under 1% 47% 0% 14 1972
Iosco County 5% 60% 0% 41 1972
Iron County 0% 57% 57% 0 1962
Isabella County 0% 57% 25% 23 1983
Jackson County 0% 38% 0% 8 1967
Kalamazoo County under 1% 23% 0% 104 1975
Kalkaska County 1% 28% 0% 0 1980
Kent County 0% 38% 0% 104 1977
Keweenaw County 0% 31% 0% 0 1961
Lake County 0% 20% 0% 12 1976
Lapeer County 4% 60% 9% 0 1978
Leelanau County under 1% 12% 0% 10 1988
Lenawee County 9% 79% 0% 3 1968
Livingston County under 1% 37% 0% 27 1991
Luce County 2% 58% 32% 0 1976
Mackinac County 4% 68% 50% 3 1976
Macomb County 9% 80% 0% 178 1975
Manistee County 0% 25% 0% 12 1972
Marquette County 0% 46% 38% 9 1971
Mason County 1% 44% 0% 6 1976
Mecosta County 1% 33% 0% 13 1979
Menominee County under 1% 60% 96% 25 1970
Midland County 3% 96% 4% 411 1975
Missaukee County 3% 40% 0% 0 1980
Monroe County 11% 91% 0% 177 1974
Montcalm County 0% 35% 0% 3 1977
Montmorency County 2% 36% 0% 0 1975
Muskegon County under 1% 45% 0% 47 1969
Newaygo County 1% 41% 0% 37 1978
Oakland County 1% 34% 41% 140 1975
Oceana County 1% 30% 0% 7 1978
Ogemaw County 10% 39% 0% 0 1976
Ontonagon County 22% 78% 74% 1 1963
Osceola County 1% 33% 0% 18 1978
Oscoda County 4% 21% 0% 0 1974
Otsego County under 1% 21% 0% 0 1982
Ottawa County under 1% 66% 0% 74 1988
Presque Isle County 1% 53% 0% 0 1973
Roscommon County 1% 49% 0% 3 1976
Saginaw County 6% 95% 19% 271 1968
Sanilac County 1% 78% 0% 0 1971
Schoolcraft County under 1% 69% 2% 1 1975
Shiawassee County 0% 80% 34% 6 1969
St. Clair County 23% 90% 0% 284 1975
St. Joseph County 0% 28% 0% 28 1970
Tuscola County under 1% 84% 0% 14 1971
Van Buren County 0% 54% 0% 10 1978
Washtenaw County 7% 54% 6% 30 1978
Wayne County 6% 66% 39% 695 1956
Wexford County 0% 18% 0% 9 1979

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.