Cass County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 26% of Cass County's mapped land. 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 8 flood losses here since 2016. 61% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Cass County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 26.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 326,797 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo | 26% | n/a |
| Oshtemo | 16% | 0% |
| Spinks | 15% | n/a |
| Houghton | 6% | n/a |
| Schoolcraft | 4% | n/a |
| Cassopolis | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI027 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 26% of Cass 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: 41.61 in, 2.43 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 39.18 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 5.7% 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
8 flood losses since 2016, $95,339 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.18 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.61 in (+2.43) |
| 2025 | 35.80 in (-3.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1954: 49.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.32 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DOWAGIAC 1 W (8 mi away) | 8.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,679 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $218,000 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart County, IN | 23 mi | 1% | 54% |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 25 mi | 0% | 28% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 25 mi | 1% | 52% |
| Van Buren County, MI | 30 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 33 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| LaGrange County, IN | 35 mi | 3% | 39% |
| Allegan County, MI | 37 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Berrien County, MI | 39 mi | 0% | 51% |
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