Ottawa County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Ottawa County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties. 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 74 flood losses here since 2016, 18% of them in buildings with basements. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Ottawa County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 65.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 368,505 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | 11% | 2% |
| Granby | 11% | n/a |
| Kawkawlin | 6% | n/a |
| Perrinton | 5% | n/a |
| Pipestone | 4% | n/a |
| Covert | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI139 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 66% of Ottawa 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: 38.43 in, 1.95 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 36.48 in.
USDA rates 94% 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, on the October 21, 2025 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
74 flood losses since 2016, $764,221 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 29. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 18% basements, 16% slabs, 16% crawl spaces, 51% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 6 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 29 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 8 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.48 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.43 in (+1.95) |
| 2025 | 28.89 in (-7.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 47.03 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 19.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MUSKEGON CO AP (8 mi away) | 6.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 117,604 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $323,400 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon County, MI | 28 mi | under 1% | 45% |
| Kent County, MI | 34 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Oceana County, MI | 40 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Newaygo County, MI | 41 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Allegan County, MI | 44 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Van Buren County, MI | 54 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Barry County, MI | 56 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Montcalm County, MI | 57 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