Ogemaw County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of Ogemaw County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 57% 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 Ogemaw County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.6% |
| Mapped soil | 368,064 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Graycalm | 15% | n/a |
| Nester | 11% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 6% | n/a |
| Lupton | 5% | n/a |
| Croswell | 5% | n/a |
| Montcalm | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI129 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 39% of Ogemaw 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: 39.69 in, 7.35 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.34 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 96.8% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Ogemaw County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.69 in (+7.35) |
| 2025 | 30.29 in (-2.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 41.74 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 19.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W BRANCH 3SE (7 mi away) | 5.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,325 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $154,900 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roscommon County, MI | 24 mi | 1% | 49% |
| Oscoda County, MI | 24 mi | 4% | 21% |
| Gladwin County, MI | 27 mi | 2% | 72% |
| Arenac County, MI | 28 mi | 6% | 76% |
| Crawford County, MI | 34 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Iosco County, MI | 37 mi | 5% | 60% |
| Clare County, MI | 42 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Bay County, MI | 44 mi | under 1% | 96% |
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