Tuscola County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Tuscola County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties and the 9th highest of 83 Michigan 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 14 flood losses here since 2016. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Tuscola County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 522,995 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tappan | 17% | n/a |
| Londo | 11% | n/a |
| Marlette | 5% | n/a |
| Guelph | 5% | n/a |
| Pipestone | 5% | n/a |
| Avoca | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI157 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 84% of Tuscola 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: 33.31 in, 0.84 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.47 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 40.3% 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
14 flood losses since 2016, $159,596 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.31 in (+0.84) |
| 2025 | 31.65 in (-0.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1986: 40.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 18.91 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CARO WWTP (2 mi away) | 5.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,011 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $149,500 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lapeer County, MI | 30 mi | 4% | 60% |
| Bay County, MI | 31 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Saginaw County, MI | 33 mi | 6% | 95% |
| Genesee County, MI | 35 mi | under 1% | 72% |
| Sanilac County, MI | 40 mi | 1% | 78% |
| Arenac County, MI | 41 mi | 6% | 76% |
| Huron County, MI | 41 mi | 0% | 93% |
| Midland County, MI | 48 mi | 3% | 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