Bay County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Bay County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 83 Michigan counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 86 flood losses here since 2016, 39% of them in buildings with basements. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.
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 Bay County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.9% |
| Mapped soil | 291,040 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tappan | 33% | n/a |
| Londo | 17% | n/a |
| Selfridge | 8% | n/a |
| Belleville | 7% | n/a |
| Pipestone | 7% | n/a |
| Poseyville | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI017 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 96% of Bay 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: 33.65 in, 1.91 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 31.74 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 93.7% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 96.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
86 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 36. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 39% basements, 11% slabs, 37% crawl spaces, 13% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 36 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.65 in (+1.91) |
| 2025 | 26.76 in (-4.98) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1985: 39.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 18.16 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAGINAW MBS INTL AP (13 mi away) | 5.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 48,659 |
| Median year built | 1963 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $152,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland County, MI | 20 mi | 3% | 96% |
| Saginaw County, MI | 26 mi | 6% | 95% |
| Arenac County, MI | 26 mi | 6% | 76% |
| Gladwin County, MI | 29 mi | 2% | 72% |
| Tuscola County, MI | 31 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Gratiot County, MI | 42 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Isabella County, MI | 43 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Ogemaw County, MI | 44 mi | 10% | 39% |
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