HomeNorth CarolinaBrunswick County

Brunswick County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Brunswick County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 9th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.

95.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2,914 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 14% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2002.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

89%

high water table: limits basements

95%

in drought, October 13, 2026

14%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Brunswick County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.6%
High water table (limits basements)88.8%
Septic fields very limited89.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.6%
Mapped soil571,513 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Baymeade10%n/a
Torhunta9%n/a
Leon8%n/a
Murville7%n/a
Woodington6%n/a
Goldsboro5%n/a
New Hanover County: 68%Columbus County: 95%Pender County: 94%Bladen County: 88%Horry County: 92%Duplin County: 92%Marion County: 84%Robeson County: 85%Brunswick County New HanoverColumbusPenderBladenHorryDuplinMarionRobesonBrunswick
Brunswick 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 NC019 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 89% of Brunswick 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: 37.05 in, 18.17 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.22 in.

USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

95.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 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 worse95.4%
D2 severe or worse48.8%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2,914 flood losses since 2016, $52.5 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1,149. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 16% slabs, 17% crawl spaces, 66% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20 in.

YearFlood losses
2016424
20176
20181,149
201916
2020880
202111
2022112
202310
2024300
20255
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202055.22 in
12 months to August 202637.05 in (-18.17)
202548.42 in (-6.80)
Wettest year since 18952018: 77.33 in
Driest year since 18952007: 31.08 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LONGWOOD (18 mi away)16

Homes

Housing units99,077
Median year built2002
Built before 198014%
Built 2000 or later56%
Owner-occupied85%
Median value, owner-occupied$349,800
Single-family detached70%

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
New Hanover County, NC 23 mi 6% 68%
Columbus County, NC 28 mi 6% 95%
Pender County, NC 38 mi 1% 94%
Bladen County, NC 42 mi 1% 88%
Horry County, SC 44 mi 5% 92%
Duplin County, NC 64 mi 0% 92%
Marion County, SC 64 mi 0% 84%
Robeson County, NC 65 mi under 1% 85%

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