Kalamazoo County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Kalamazoo 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 104 flood losses here since 2016, 35% of them in buildings with basements. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Kalamazoo County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.4% |
| Mapped soil | 371,372 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo | 25% | n/a |
| Oshtemo | 18% | 0% |
| Spinks | 7% | n/a |
| Coloma | 6% | n/a |
| Houghton | 5% | n/a |
| Schoolcraft | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI077 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 23% of Kalamazoo 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: 38.03 in, 1.01 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 37.02 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 7.4% 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
104 flood losses since 2016, $3.9 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 38. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 35% basements, 32% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2018 | 34 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.03 in (+1.01) |
| 2025 | 37.92 in (+0.90) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 44.91 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BATTLE CREEK 5NW (16 mi away) | 6.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 114,908 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $241,800 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph County, MI | 23 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Barry County, MI | 26 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Calhoun County, MI | 27 mi | under 1% | 34% |
| Branch County, MI | 33 mi | under 1% | 61% |
| Cass County, MI | 33 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Allegan County, MI | 39 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Van Buren County, MI | 40 mi | 0% | 54% |
| LaGrange County, IN | 42 mi | 3% | 39% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status