Mason County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 44% of Mason County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 56% 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 Mason County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 44.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.2% |
| Mapped soil | 326,970 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Grattan | 7% | n/a |
| Covert | 6% | n/a |
| Fern | 5% | n/a |
| Spinks | 4% | n/a |
| Epworth | 4% | n/a |
| Pipestone | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI105 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 44% of Mason 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: 37.37 in, 2.56 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 34.81 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 99.8% 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
6 flood losses since 2016, $191,597 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.37 in (+2.56) |
| 2025 | 32.65 in (-2.16) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 46.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 21.69 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MANISTEE 3SE (19 mi away) | 6.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,596 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manistee County, MI | 21 mi | 0% | 25% |
| Oceana County, MI | 24 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Lake County, MI | 32 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Muskegon County, MI | 37 mi | under 1% | 45% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 42 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Benzie County, MI | 48 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Wexford County, MI | 50 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Osceola County, MI | 56 mi | 1% | 33% |
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