Barry County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Barry County's mapped land, a higher share than 54% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 70 flood losses here since 2016, 23% of them in buildings with basements. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Barry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.2% |
| Mapped soil | 369,210 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Oshtemo | 15% | 0% |
| Marlette | 12% | n/a |
| Coloma | 12% | n/a |
| Filer | 8% | n/a |
| Boyer | 7% | n/a |
| Houghton | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI015 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 35% of Barry 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: 36.99 in, 0.67 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.66 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 35.3% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
70 flood losses since 2016, $1.5 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 35. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 23% basements, 15% slabs, 46% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 25.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 35 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 15 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.66 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.99 in (-0.67) |
| 2025 | 35.11 in (-2.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 46.60 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.06 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HASTINGS (4 mi away) | 8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 27,780 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $264,100 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eaton County, MI | 24 mi | 0% | 76% |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 26 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Ionia County, MI | 28 mi | under 1% | 47% |
| Calhoun County, MI | 28 mi | under 1% | 34% |
| Kent County, MI | 33 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Clinton County, MI | 45 mi | 0% | 80% |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 48 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Branch County, MI | 48 mi | under 1% | 61% |
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