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Anson County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Anson County's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
91.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Anson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.1% |
| Mapped soil | 343,833 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Badin | 15% | n/a |
| Pacolet | 13% | 0% |
| Goldston | 10% | n/a |
| Mayodan | 9% | n/a |
| Chewacla | 7% | n/a |
| White Store | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC007 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 15% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 91.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Anson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 37% of Anson 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: 31.70 in, 14.57 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.27 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
91.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 40 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 91.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.70 in (-14.57) |
| 2025 | 38.58 in (-7.69) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 62.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2001: 29.47 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WADESBORO (2 mi away) | 14.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,954 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $148,600 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond County, NC | 20 mi | 5% | 23% |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 24 mi | 0% | 43% |
| Union County, NC | 24 mi | 3% | 28% |
| Stanly County, NC | 25 mi | 4% | 18% |
| Montgomery County, NC | 27 mi | 4% | 19% |
| Marlboro County, SC | 36 mi | 0% | 83% |
| Scotland County, NC | 37 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 38 mi | 22% | 22% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status