Otsego County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Otsego County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
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. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Otsego County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 336,749 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake | 16% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 14% | n/a |
| Kalkaska | 11% | n/a |
| Lindquist | 8% | n/a |
| Mossback | 4% | n/a |
| Mancelona | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI137 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 21% of Otsego 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: 38.18 in, 5.57 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.61 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 15.4% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 15% |
| 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 Otsego County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.18 in (+5.57) |
| 2025 | 31.38 in (-1.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1985: 38.83 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1925: 21.23 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GAYLORD (7 mi away) | 4.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,882 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,700 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montmorency County, MI | 22 mi | 2% | 36% |
| Crawford County, MI | 24 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Antrim County, MI | 29 mi | under 1% | 16% |
| Cheboygan County, MI | 32 mi | 2% | 44% |
| Oscoda County, MI | 32 mi | 4% | 21% |
| Kalkaska County, MI | 35 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Emmet County, MI | 44 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Roscommon County, MI | 47 mi | 1% | 49% |
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