HomeNorth CarolinaCatawba County

Catawba County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Catawba County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 9%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 36.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 51.5% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 104 flood losses here since 2016, 9% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

9%

high water table: limits basements

36%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Catawba County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.2%
High water table (limits basements)8.6%
Septic fields very limited36.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.2%
Mapped soil264,422 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Cecil19%0%
Clifford16%0%
Lloyd11%n/a
Fairview9%0%
Tomlin9%n/a
Pacolet8%0%
Lincoln County: 1%Alexander County: 0%Iredell County: 1%Gaston County: 3%Caldwell County: 0%Burke County: 0%Cleveland County: 1%Mecklenburg County: 16%Catawba County LincolnAlexanderIredellGastonCaldwellBurkeClevelandMecklenburgCatawba
Catawba County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NC035 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 34.64 in, 12.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.01 in.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 9% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Catawba County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

36.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse97.1%
D1 moderate drought or worse36.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

104 flood losses since 2016, $3.5 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 41. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 9% basements, 32% slabs, 29% crawl spaces, 30% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 28.5 in.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20182
201938
202041
20210
20220
20230
202421
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.01 in
12 months to August 202634.64 in (-12.37)
202541.14 in (-5.87)
Wettest year since 18952020: 72.50 in
Driest year since 18952007: 28.91 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HICKORY FAA AP (11 mi away)13.2

Homes

Housing units73,133
Median year built1985
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$241,600
Single-family detached69%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Lincoln County, NC 12 mi 1% 9%
Alexander County, NC 18 mi 0% 5%
Iredell County, NC 22 mi 1% 9%
Gaston County, NC 26 mi 3% 10%
Caldwell County, NC 27 mi 0% 6%
Burke County, NC 28 mi 0% 2%
Cleveland County, NC 30 mi 1% 7%
Mecklenburg County, NC 36 mi 16% 16%

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