HomeNorth CarolinaCherokee County

Cherokee County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Cherokee County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 5%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 0.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 26% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

5%

high water table: limits basements

1%

in drought, October 13, 2026

26%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cherokee County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)5.4%
Septic fields very limited90.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil298,707 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Junaluska25%n/a
Brasstown13%n/a
Tsali8%n/a
Soco5%n/a
Sylco5%n/a
Lonon5%n/a
Clay County: 0%Graham County: 0%Union County: 0%Fannin County: 0%Monroe County: 0%Towns County: 0%Polk County: 0%Macon County: 0%Cherokee County ClayGrahamUnionFanninMonroeTownsPolkMaconCherokee
Cherokee 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 NC039 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 50.67 in, 11.22 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.89 in.

USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 5% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Cherokee County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse97.6%
D1 moderate drought or worse0.8%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $450,607 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 6.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20183
20190
20204
20210
20220
20230
20240
20256
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202061.89 in
12 months to August 202650.67 in (-11.22)
202557.10 in (-4.79)
Wettest year since 18951989: 81.65 in
Driest year since 18952016: 37.44 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MURPHY 4ESE (7 mi away)17.1

Homes

Housing units18,404
Median year built1994
Built before 198026%
Built 2000 or later38%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$232,300
Single-family detached76%

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
Clay County, NC 18 mi 0% 4%
Graham County, NC 20 mi 0% 4%
Union County, GA 21 mi 0% 6%
Fannin County, GA 24 mi 0% 4%
Monroe County, TN 24 mi 0% 5%
Towns County, GA 25 mi 0% 6%
Polk County, TN 27 mi 0% 4%
Macon County, NC 36 mi 0% 3%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status