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Bladen County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Bladen County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 10th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

86.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 149 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

88%

high water table: limits basements

87%

in drought, October 13, 2026

46%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Bladen County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.7%
High water table (limits basements)88.3%
Septic fields very limited87.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.7%
Mapped soil568,205 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Torhunta8%n/a
Leon6%n/a
Pamlico6%n/a
Rains6%n/a
Norfolk5%63%
Goldsboro5%n/a
Columbus County: 95%Sampson County: 80%Robeson County: 85%Cumberland County: 58%Pender County: 94%Duplin County: 92%Brunswick County: 89%New Hanover County: 68%Bladen County ColumbusSampsonRobesonCumberlandPenderDuplinBrunswickNew HanoverBladen
Bladen 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 NC017 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 88% of Bladen 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: 35.03 in, 16.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.27 in.

USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

86.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the August 25, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse86.8%
D2 severe or worse71.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

149 flood losses since 2016, $8.4 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 95. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 21% slabs, 55% crawl spaces, 23% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 30 in.

YearFlood losses
201637
20170
201895
20190
20203
20210
20220
20231
202413
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.27 in
12 months to August 202635.03 in (-16.24)
202545.23 in (-6.04)
Wettest year since 18952018: 67.33 in
Driest year since 18952007: 31.78 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WHITEVILLE 7 NW (19 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units15,286
Median year built1983
Built before 198046%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied69%
Median value, owner-occupied$135,100
Single-family detached62%

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
Columbus County, NC 24 mi 6% 95%
Sampson County, NC 29 mi 0% 80%
Robeson County, NC 32 mi under 1% 85%
Cumberland County, NC 36 mi under 1% 58%
Pender County, NC 37 mi 1% 94%
Duplin County, NC 42 mi 0% 92%
Brunswick County, NC 42 mi 3% 89%
New Hanover County, NC 48 mi 6% 68%

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