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Menominee County, Michigan

A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Menominee County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 95.5% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 25 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

60%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

65%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Menominee County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.3%
High water table (limits basements)59.9%
Septic fields very limited77.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.3%
Mapped soil672,884 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Onaway19%n/a
Lupton11%n/a
Cathro9%n/a
Nadeau6%n/a
Ensley5%n/a
Ossineke5%n/a
Marinette County: 42%Delta County: 60%Dickinson County: 36%Door County: 35%Florence County: 41%Oconto County: 51%Forest County: 54%Kewaunee County: 40%Menominee County MarinetteDeltaDickinsonDoorFlorenceOcontoForestKewauneeMenominee
Menominee County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas MI109 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 60% of Menominee 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: 28.96 in, 1.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.67 in.

USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse63.4%
D3 extreme or worse26.7%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

25 flood losses since 2016, $366,935 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 13.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20194
202013
20212
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date5

Rain

Average year, 1991-202030.67 in
12 months to August 202628.96 in (-1.71)
202528.15 in (-2.52)
Wettest year since 18952019: 41.43 in
Driest year since 18951895: 19.89 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARINETTE (31 mi away)6.5

Homes

Housing units13,262
Median year built1970
Built before 198065%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$151,800
Single-family detached81%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Marinette County, WI 27 mi under 1% 42%
Delta County, MI 34 mi under 1% 60%
Dickinson County, MI 37 mi 0% 36%
Door County, WI 38 mi 9% 35%
Florence County, WI 49 mi 0% 41%
Oconto County, WI 51 mi 0% 51%
Forest County, WI 62 mi 0% 54%
Kewaunee County, WI 64 mi 19% 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