HomeMichiganGrand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 18% of Grand Traverse County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses here since 2016, 32% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Grand Traverse County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.2% |
| Mapped soil | 316,166 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rubicon | 26% | n/a |
| Kalkaska | 18% | n/a |
| Emmet | 8% | n/a |
| Leelanau | 4% | n/a |
| Croswell | 4% | n/a |
| Mancelona | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI055 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 18% of Grand Traverse 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: 35.59 in, 2.56 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 33.03 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 7.7% 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
30 flood losses since 2016, $849,906 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 11. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 32% basements, 20% slabs, 44% crawl spaces, 4% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 11 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.03 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.59 in (+2.56) |
| 2025 | 31.46 in (-1.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1985: 41.11 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1925: 21.98 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TRAVERSE CITY CHERRY CPTL AP (2 mi away) | 4.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 47,003 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $339,400 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska County, MI | 23 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Wexford County, MI | 27 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Antrim County, MI | 27 mi | under 1% | 16% |
| Benzie County, MI | 34 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Missaukee County, MI | 36 mi | 3% | 40% |
| Leelanau County, MI | 38 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Crawford County, MI | 46 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Manistee County, MI | 50 mi | 0% | 25% |
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