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Beaufort County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Beaufort County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.

21.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,500 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

83%

high water table: limits basements

21%

in drought, October 13, 2026

50%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Beaufort County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.2%
High water table (limits basements)83.2%
Septic fields very limited84.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.2%
Mapped soil612,980 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Tomotley8%n/a
Leaf7%n/a
Roanoke7%n/a
Lenoir5%n/a
Portsmouth5%n/a
Bayboro5%n/a
Pamlico County: 55%Craven County: 85%Washington County: 80%Martin County: 96%Pitt County: 88%Hyde County: 49%Bertie County: 89%Jones County: 95%Beaufort County PamlicoCravenWashingtonMartinPittHydeBertieJonesBeaufort
Beaufort County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NC013 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 83% of Beaufort 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: 39.36 in, 13.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.11 in.

USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

21.4% 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 26 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse58.8%
D1 moderate drought or worse21.4%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1,500 flood losses since 2016, $27.7 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1,177. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 14% slabs, 30% crawl spaces, 55% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 26 in.

YearFlood losses
2016155
20177
20181,177
201910
202017
20211
202210
2023107
202412
20253
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202053.11 in
12 months to August 202639.36 in (-13.75)
202546.16 in (-6.95)
Wettest year since 18952016: 70.64 in
Driest year since 18952001: 37.59 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WASHINGTON WWTP 4W (14 mi away)15.4

Homes

Housing units24,526
Median year built1980
Built before 198050%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied70%
Median value, owner-occupied$192,700
Single-family detached68%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Pamlico County, NC 25 mi 2% 55%
Craven County, NC 29 mi 9% 85%
Washington County, NC 29 mi 3% 80%
Martin County, NC 30 mi under 1% 96%
Pitt County, NC 31 mi 4% 88%
Hyde County, NC 39 mi 1% 49%
Bertie County, NC 40 mi 14% 89%
Jones County, NC 43 mi 6% 95%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status