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Chatham County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 44% of Chatham County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14%.

64.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 31 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 24% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1998.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

14%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

44%

high water table: limits basements

65%

in drought, October 13, 2026

24%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Chatham County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)13.9%
High water table (limits basements)44.4%
Septic fields very limited60.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)13.9%
Mapped soil453,607 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Georgeville20%0%
Cid12%n/a
Badin9%n/a
Nanford9%n/a
Creedmoor6%n/a
Lignum6%n/a
Lee County: 38%Alamance County: 24%Orange County: 20%Moore County: 28%Durham County: 56%Randolph County: 13%Harnett County: 62%Wake County: 32%Chatham County LeeAlamanceOrangeMooreDurhamRandolphHarnettWakeChatham
Chatham 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 NC037 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 44% of Chatham 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: 33.44 in, 12.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.32 in.

USDA rates 61% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

64.5% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 36 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 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 worse64.5%
D2 severe or worse28.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

31 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 14. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 16% slabs, 44% crawl spaces, 40% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20163
20170
20189
20190
20201
20210
20221
20230
20243
202514
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.32 in
12 months to August 202633.44 in (-12.88)
202545.93 in (-0.39)
Wettest year since 18952018: 64.64 in
Driest year since 18951933: 29.92 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SILER CITY 2 N (12 mi away)12.6

Homes

Housing units35,914
Median year built1998
Built before 198024%
Built 2000 or later45%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$446,200
Single-family detached77%

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
Lee County, NC 16 mi 5% 38%
Alamance County, NC 25 mi 20% 24%
Orange County, NC 26 mi 16% 20%
Moore County, NC 31 mi 1% 28%
Durham County, NC 31 mi 43% 56%
Randolph County, NC 31 mi 14% 13%
Harnett County, NC 32 mi under 1% 62%
Wake County, NC 34 mi 4% 32%

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