Marquette County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 46% of Marquette County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
98.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 97.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Marquette County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 46.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,198,912 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rubicon | 6% | n/a |
| Keewaydin | 5% | n/a |
| Lupton | 4% | n/a |
| Carbondale | 4% | n/a |
| Michigamme | 4% | n/a |
| Tawas | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI103 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 46% of Marquette 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: 35.26 in, 2.65 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.61 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
98.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.9% of its area, on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 98.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 74.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $188,881 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.26 in (+2.65) |
| 2025 | 36.33 in (+3.72) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1951: 42.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 21.80 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARQUETTE (7 mi away) | 6.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 33,607 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $216,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga County, MI | 38 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Alger County, MI | 44 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 45 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Iron County, MI | 57 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Houghton County, MI | 57 mi | 2% | 66% |
| Keweenaw County, MI | 63 mi | 0% | 31% |
| Delta County, MI | 65 mi | under 1% | 60% |
| Florence County, WI | 66 mi | 0% | 41% |
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