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Bertie County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Bertie County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 8th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14%.
81.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 175 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Bertie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 14.1% |
| Mapped soil | 471,379 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf | 14% | n/a |
| Craven | 8% | n/a |
| Roanoke | 7% | n/a |
| Dorovan | 6% | n/a |
| Goldsboro | 6% | n/a |
| Rains | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC015 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 89% of Bertie 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: 38.35 in, 12.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.65 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
81.9% 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 31 weeks, most recently on the July 14, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 81.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 3.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
175 flood losses since 2016, $5.6 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 172. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 59% slabs, 30% crawl spaces, 11% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 18 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 172 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.35 in (-12.30) |
| 2025 | 44.91 in (-5.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1989: 66.68 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 34.39 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEWISTON (13 mi away) | 12.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,984 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $98,500 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin County, NC | 17 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Chowan County, NC | 21 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Hertford County, NC | 21 mi | 20% | 92% |
| Washington County, NC | 26 mi | 3% | 80% |
| Gates County, NC | 30 mi | under 1% | 93% |
| Perquimans County, NC | 32 mi | 0% | 72% |
| Northampton County, NC | 35 mi | under 1% | 86% |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 37 mi | 1% | 84% |
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