Arenac County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 76% of Arenac County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 55 flood losses here since 2016, 22% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Arenac County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.8% |
| Mapped soil | 237,959 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Roscommon | 9% | n/a |
| Au Gres | 7% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 6% | n/a |
| Sims | 5% | n/a |
| Nester | 4% | n/a |
| Grayling | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI011 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 76% of Arenac County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 35.93 in, 4.62 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 31.31 in.
USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 2.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
55 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 40. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 22% basements, 15% slabs, 44% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 40 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.31 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.93 in (+4.62) |
| 2025 | 26.46 in (-4.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1985: 38.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1958: 18.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STANDISH 4NE (8 mi away) | 5.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,554 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $150,600 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County, MI | 26 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Ogemaw County, MI | 28 mi | 10% | 39% |
| Iosco County, MI | 30 mi | 5% | 60% |
| Gladwin County, MI | 32 mi | 2% | 72% |
| Tuscola County, MI | 41 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Midland County, MI | 42 mi | 3% | 96% |
| Huron County, MI | 45 mi | 0% | 93% |
| Roscommon County, MI | 48 mi | 1% | 49% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status