Hillsdale County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Hillsdale County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
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. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Hillsdale County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 388,167 acres |
How we count · survey areas MI059 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 51% of Hillsdale 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: 34.63 in, 2.67 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.30 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the December 23, 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, $130,664 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.30 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.63 in (-2.67) |
| 2025 | 31.03 in (-6.27) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 48.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 22.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HILLSDALE (1 mi away) | 7.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,515 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $176,100 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branch County, MI | 22 mi | under 1% | 61% |
| Jackson County, MI | 25 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Williams County, OH | 25 mi | 22% | 95% |
| Steuben County, IN | 27 mi | 5% | 59% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 29 mi | 9% | 79% |
| Calhoun County, MI | 29 mi | under 1% | 34% |
| Fulton County, OH | 35 mi | 17% | 85% |
| DeKalb County, IN | 41 mi | 20% | 88% |
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