Newaygo County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Newaygo County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% 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 37 flood losses here since 2016, 6% of them in buildings with basements. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Newaygo County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.4% |
| Mapped soil | 551,757 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | 14% | 2% |
| Coloma | 12% | n/a |
| Grattan | 7% | n/a |
| Metea | 7% | n/a |
| Spinks | 6% | n/a |
| Pipestone | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI123 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 41% of Newaygo 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: 37.98 in, 1.56 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 36.42 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 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
37 flood losses since 2016, $1.7 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 29. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 6% basements, 25% slabs, 47% crawl spaces, 22% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 29 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.42 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.98 in (+1.56) |
| 2025 | 29.23 in (-7.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 47.75 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.92 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BIG RAPIDS WTP (18 mi away) | 6.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,931 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $186,700 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecosta County, MI | 23 mi | 1% | 33% |
| Lake County, MI | 30 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Muskegon County, MI | 33 mi | under 1% | 45% |
| Oceana County, MI | 34 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Montcalm County, MI | 37 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Osceola County, MI | 38 mi | 1% | 33% |
| Kent County, MI | 39 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Ottawa County, MI | 41 mi | under 1% | 66% |
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