Charlevoix County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 25% of Charlevoix County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
16.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Charlevoix County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 25.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 292,985 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Emmet | 17% | n/a |
| Leelanau | 16% | n/a |
| Kalkaska | 10% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 4% | n/a |
| Carbondale | 4% | n/a |
| Mancelona | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI029 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 25% of Charlevoix 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: 40.18 in, 5.66 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 34.52 in.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
16.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 16.8% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 16.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $146,812 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.52 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.18 in (+5.66) |
| 2025 | 38.81 in (+4.29) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2013: 43.82 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1925: 22.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CROSS VILLAGE 1E (26 mi away) | 4.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,640 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $276,800 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmet County, MI | 27 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Mackinac County, MI | 40 mi | 4% | 68% |
| Leelanau County, MI | 41 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Schoolcraft County, MI | 41 mi | under 1% | 69% |
| Antrim County, MI | 46 mi | under 1% | 16% |
| Cheboygan County, MI | 52 mi | 2% | 44% |
| Luce County, MI | 62 mi | 2% | 58% |
| Grand Traverse County, MI | 62 mi | under 1% | 18% |
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