Macomb County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Macomb County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 178 flood losses here since 2016, 41% 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 Macomb County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 309,261 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lenawee | 8% | n/a |
| Conover | 8% | n/a |
| Selfridge | 6% | n/a |
| Parkhill | 6% | n/a |
| Boyer | 5% | n/a |
| Toledo | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI099 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 80% of Macomb 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: 29.62 in, 4.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.86 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 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
178 flood losses since 2016, $2.3 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 56. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 41% basements, 23% slabs, 30% crawl spaces, 6% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 7 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 56 |
| 2020 | 29 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 31 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.62 in (-4.24) |
| 2025 | 28.98 in (-4.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 47.08 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1958: 18.35 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GROSSE POINTE FARMS (18 mi away) | 6.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 373,413 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $243,900 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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. Clair County, MI | 22 mi | 23% | 90% |
| Oakland County, MI | 24 mi | 1% | 34% |
| Wayne County, MI | 32 mi | 6% | 66% |
| Lapeer County, MI | 33 mi | 4% | 60% |
| Genesee County, MI | 47 mi | under 1% | 72% |
| Livingston County, MI | 51 mi | under 1% | 37% |
| Sanilac County, MI | 55 mi | 1% | 78% |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 56 mi | 7% | 54% |
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