Saginaw County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 95% of Saginaw County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 83 Michigan counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 271 flood losses here since 2016, 64% of them in buildings with basements. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Saginaw County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.4% |
| Mapped soil | 522,035 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Parkhill | 13% | n/a |
| Pipestone | 10% | n/a |
| Selfridge | 10% | n/a |
| Tappan | 10% | n/a |
| Londo | 6% | n/a |
| Granby | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI145 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 95% of Saginaw 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: 33.70 in, 0.76 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.94 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 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 52% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 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
271 flood losses since 2016, $8.2 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 184. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 64% basements, 10% slabs, 22% crawl spaces, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 26 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 184 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 40 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.70 in (+0.76) |
| 2025 | 29.89 in (-3.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 41.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 18.95 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAGINAW #3 (8 mi away) | 5.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 86,208 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $152,800 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 | 26 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 26 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Midland County, MI | 27 mi | 3% | 96% |
| Genesee County, MI | 28 mi | under 1% | 72% |
| Gratiot County, MI | 28 mi | 2% | 90% |
| Tuscola County, MI | 33 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Clinton County, MI | 38 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Isabella County, MI | 45 mi | 0% | 57% |
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