Berrien County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Berrien County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% 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 73 flood losses here since 2016, 27% of them in buildings with basements. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Berrien County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.6% |
| Mapped soil | 371,456 acres |
How we count · survey areas MI021 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 51% of Berrien 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: 40.68 in, 1.78 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 38.90 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 15.3% of its area, on the October 14, 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
73 flood losses since 2016, $2.0 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 54. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 27% basements, 20% slabs, 40% crawl spaces, 13% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 54 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.90 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.68 in (+1.78) |
| 2025 | 34.32 in (-4.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1990: 51.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 25.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAPORTE (12 mi away) | 8.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 77,276 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $224,300 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaPorte County, IN | 17 mi | under 1% | 52% |
| Porter County, IN | 26 mi | 7% | 70% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 26 mi | 1% | 52% |
| Starke County, IN | 35 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Cass County, MI | 39 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Lake County, IN | 39 mi | 16% | 77% |
| Marshall County, IN | 40 mi | 1% | 58% |
| Van Buren County, MI | 41 mi | 0% | 54% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status