Houghton County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Houghton County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
34.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 22% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Houghton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 66.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.1% |
| Mapped soil | 667,904 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Munising | 13% | n/a |
| Kalkaska | 7% | n/a |
| Graveraet | 7% | n/a |
| Vilas | 4% | n/a |
| Montreal | 4% | n/a |
| Liminga | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI061 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 66% of Houghton 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: 31.23 in, 0.65 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 30.58 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
34.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 3 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 34.6% 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 | 34.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 17.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $96,295 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.23 in (+0.65) |
| 2025 | 33.70 in (+3.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1968: 40.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 19.51 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HERMAN (26 mi away) | 5.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,870 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,900 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga County, MI | 25 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Keweenaw County, MI | 29 mi | 0% | 31% |
| Ontonagon County, MI | 32 mi | 22% | 78% |
| Iron County, MI | 57 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Marquette County, MI | 57 mi | 0% | 46% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 64 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Vilas County, WI | 77 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 78 mi | 0% | 36% |
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