Midland County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Midland County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the highest of 83 Michigan counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
4.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 411 flood losses here since 2016, 63% 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 Midland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.4% |
| Mapped soil | 338,009 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pipestone | 19% | n/a |
| Kingsville | 15% | n/a |
| Selfridge | 10% | n/a |
| Belleville | 9% | n/a |
| Covert | 8% | n/a |
| Parkhill | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI111 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 96% of Midland 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: 34.21 in, 1.90 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.31 in.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
4.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 4.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
411 flood losses since 2016, $25.6 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 237. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 63% basements, 10% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 40 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 165 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 237 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.31 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.21 in (+1.90) |
| 2025 | 26.17 in (-6.14) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 40.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 17.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MIDLAND (9 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 37,160 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $195,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County, MI | 20 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Isabella County, MI | 23 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Gladwin County, MI | 24 mi | 2% | 72% |
| Gratiot County, MI | 27 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Saginaw County, MI | 27 mi | 6% | 95% |
| Clare County, MI | 33 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Arenac County, MI | 42 mi | 6% | 76% |
| Montcalm County, MI | 45 mi | 0% | 35% |
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