Wayne County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Wayne County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
38.7% of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 695 flood losses here since 2016, 82% of them in buildings with basements. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, September 22, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Wayne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 66.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 17.7% |
| Mapped soil | 406,464 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tedrow | 7% | n/a |
| Blount | 6% | over 99% |
| Pewamo | 5% | 99% |
| Thetford | 4% | n/a |
| Kibbie | 3% | n/a |
| Selfridge | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI163 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 66% of Wayne 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: 26.99 in, 6.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.98 in.
USDA rates 72% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
38.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the January 20, 2026 map.
| Category, September 22, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 38.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
695 flood losses since 2016, $6.3 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 182. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 82% basements, 11% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 1% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 66 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 40 |
| 2019 | 182 |
| 2020 | 23 |
| 2021 | 181 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 116 |
| 2024 | 32 |
| 2025 | 24 |
| 2026 to date | 14 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 26.99 in (-6.99) |
| 2025 | 28.67 in (-5.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 48.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 19.98 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DEARBORN (3 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 801,083 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $178,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, MI | 27 mi | 1% | 34% |
| Monroe County, MI | 28 mi | 11% | 91% |
| Washtenaw County, MI | 30 mi | 7% | 54% |
| Macomb County, MI | 32 mi | 9% | 80% |
| Livingston County, MI | 40 mi | under 1% | 37% |
| Lucas County, OH | 43 mi | 19% | 68% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 50 mi | 9% | 79% |
| Ottawa County, OH | 53 mi | 50% | 75% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status