Kent County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Kent County's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
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, 51% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Kent County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.3% |
| Mapped soil | 558,509 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Filer | 9% | n/a |
| Spinks | 7% | n/a |
| Chelsea | 6% | n/a |
| Oakville | 5% | n/a |
| Plainfield | 5% | 2% |
| Capac | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI081 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Kent 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: 37.24 in, 0.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.37 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 62.6% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 20.6% |
| 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, $2.1 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 43. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 51% basements, 18% slabs, 16% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 43 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 19 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.37 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.24 in (-0.13) |
| 2025 | 29.29 in (-8.08) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 47.91 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 20.45 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRAND RAPIDS (10 mi away) | 8.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 269,136 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $289,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionia County, MI | 25 mi | under 1% | 47% |
| Montcalm County, MI | 28 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Barry County, MI | 33 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Ottawa County, MI | 34 mi | under 1% | 66% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 39 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Mecosta County, MI | 43 mi | 1% | 33% |
| Eaton County, MI | 47 mi | 0% | 76% |
| Clinton County, MI | 49 mi | 0% | 80% |
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