Lake County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Lake County's mapped land. 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 12 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Lake County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.2% |
| Mapped soil | 367,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Coloma | 24% | n/a |
| Grattan | 12% | n/a |
| Montcalm | 12% | n/a |
| Plainfield | 8% | 2% |
| Graycalm | 7% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI600 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Lake 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: 38.80 in, 2.85 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 35.95 in.
USDA rates 98% 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 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $727,278 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.80 in (+2.85) |
| 2025 | 31.81 in (-4.14) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 46.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 23.46 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WELLSTON TIPPY DAM (19 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,461 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $133,900 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola County, MI | 25 mi | 1% | 33% |
| Wexford County, MI | 26 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 30 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Manistee County, MI | 31 mi | 0% | 25% |
| Mason County, MI | 32 mi | 1% | 44% |
| Mecosta County, MI | 34 mi | 1% | 33% |
| Oceana County, MI | 42 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Missaukee County, MI | 43 mi | 3% | 40% |
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