Lapeer County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Lapeer County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Lapeer County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.4% |
| Mapped soil | 423,961 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wawasee | 7% | n/a |
| Capac | 6% | n/a |
| Conover | 6% | n/a |
| Boyer | 6% | n/a |
| McBride | 5% | n/a |
| Lapeer | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI087 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 60% of Lapeer 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: 32.82 in, 0.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.87 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 93.7% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Lapeer County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.87 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.82 in (-0.05) |
| 2025 | 33.54 in (+0.67) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2006: 41.22 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 18.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAPEER WWTP (5 mi away) | 5.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 37,147 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $239,000 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee County, MI | 25 mi | under 1% | 72% |
| Tuscola County, MI | 30 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| St. Clair County, MI | 30 mi | 23% | 90% |
| Oakland County, MI | 31 mi | 1% | 34% |
| Macomb County, MI | 33 mi | 9% | 80% |
| Sanilac County, MI | 38 mi | 1% | 78% |
| Saginaw County, MI | 45 mi | 6% | 95% |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 48 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