Delta County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Delta County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 36.5% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Delta County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 59.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.2% |
| Mapped soil | 767,190 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska | 8% | n/a |
| Charlevoix | 7% | n/a |
| Lupton | 7% | n/a |
| Ensley | 6% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 6% | n/a |
| Carbondale | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI041 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 60% of Delta 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: 34.69 in, 2.75 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 31.94 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $252,256 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.69 in (+2.75) |
| 2025 | 30.62 in (-1.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 44.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 21.70 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WASHINGTON IS (31 mi away) | 4.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,845 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,100 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menominee County, MI | 34 mi | under 1% | 60% |
| Schoolcraft County, MI | 35 mi | under 1% | 69% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 49 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Door County, WI | 50 mi | 9% | 35% |
| Alger County, MI | 51 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Leelanau County, MI | 61 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Marinette County, WI | 61 mi | under 1% | 42% |
| Marquette County, MI | 65 mi | 0% | 46% |
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