Van Buren County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Van Buren County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Van Buren County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 399,296 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Oshtemo | 9% | 0% |
| Spinks | 9% | n/a |
| Coloma | 8% | n/a |
| Selfridge | 6% | n/a |
| Capac | 5% | n/a |
| Houghton | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI159 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Van Buren 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: 38.00 in, 0.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.14 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 58.7% of its area, on the October 14, 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
10 flood losses since 2016, $109,743 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.14 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.00 in (-0.14) |
| 2025 | 35.09 in (-3.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 47.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BENTON HARBOR AP (13 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 37,405 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $206,500 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegan County, MI | 10 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Cass County, MI | 30 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 40 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Berrien County, MI | 41 mi | 0% | 51% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 46 mi | 1% | 52% |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 48 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Elkhart County, IN | 52 mi | 1% | 54% |
| Ottawa County, MI | 54 mi | under 1% | 66% |
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