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Chowan County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 62% of Chowan County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

1.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 35 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

62%

high water table: limits basements

2%

in drought, October 13, 2026

51%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Chowan County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)62.4%
Septic fields very limited68.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil154,784 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Roanoke13%n/a
Portsmouth5%n/a
Tomotley5%n/a
Dogue4%n/a
Dorovan4%n/a
Icaria4%n/a
Perquimans County: 72%Washington County: 80%Bertie County: 89%Pasquotank County: 76%Gates County: 93%Hertford County: 92%Camden County: 74%Tyrrell County: 64%Chowan County PerquimansWashingtonBertiePasquotankGatesHertfordCamdenTyrrellChowan
Chowan 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 NC041 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 62% of Chowan 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: 39.83 in, 11.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.12 in.

USDA rates 68% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

1.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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 worse1.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

35 flood losses since 2016, $533,048 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 23. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.

YearFlood losses
201623
20171
20180
20192
20204
20211
20220
20233
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.12 in
12 months to August 202639.83 in (-11.29)
202544.05 in (-7.07)
Wettest year since 18952016: 70.23 in
Driest year since 18952007: 31.70 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EDENTON (8 mi away)14.7

Homes

Housing units7,190
Median year built1980
Built before 198051%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$235,800
Single-family detached71%

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
Perquimans County, NC 12 mi 0% 72%
Washington County, NC 20 mi 3% 80%
Bertie County, NC 21 mi 14% 89%
Pasquotank County, NC 21 mi 2% 76%
Gates County, NC 22 mi under 1% 93%
Hertford County, NC 27 mi 20% 92%
Camden County, NC 29 mi under 1% 74%
Tyrrell County, NC 30 mi 0% 64%

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