Chippewa County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 73% of Chippewa County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 56% 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 Chippewa County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,135,981 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pickford | 9% | n/a |
| Kalkaska | 7% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 5% | n/a |
| Rudyard | 5% | n/a |
| Kinross | 4% | n/a |
| Carbondale | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI033 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.8% by land area here, and 19% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Chippewa County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 73% of Chippewa 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: 34.34 in, 0.14 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 34.20 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% 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 | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 61.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $136,915 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.20 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.34 in (+0.14) |
| 2025 | 37.35 in (+3.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 43.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 23.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAULT STE MARIE SANDERSON FLD (13 mi away) | 4.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,348 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $161,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackinac County, MI | 39 mi | 4% | 68% |
| Luce County, MI | 49 mi | 2% | 58% |
| Emmet County, MI | 55 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Cheboygan County, MI | 58 mi | 2% | 44% |
| Charlevoix County, MI | 69 mi | under 1% | 25% |
| Schoolcraft County, MI | 85 mi | under 1% | 69% |
| Otsego County, MI | 90 mi | under 1% | 21% |
| Presque Isle County, MI | 91 mi | 1% | 53% |
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