HomeNorth CarolinaClay County

Clay County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Clay County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 17.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

4%

high water table: limits basements

17%

in drought, October 13, 2026

34%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Clay County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)4.1%
Septic fields very limited92.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil141,126 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Evard10%0%
Junaluska9%n/a
Cowee6%n/a
Edneyville6%n/a
Plott6%n/a
Chestnut5%n/a
Towns County: 0%Cherokee County: 0%Macon County: 0%Union County: 0%Graham County: 0%Rabun County: 0%White County: 0%Habersham County: 0%Clay County TownsCherokeeMaconUnionGrahamRabunWhiteHabershamClay
Clay 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 NC043 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.96 in, 14.85 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 63.81 in.

USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Clay County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

17.2% 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 34 weeks, most recently on the August 11, 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 worse17.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

14 flood losses since 2016, $82,906 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20202
20214
20220
20230
20240
20257
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202063.81 in
12 months to August 202648.96 in (-14.85)
202553.95 in (-9.86)
Wettest year since 18952013: 85.53 in
Driest year since 18952016: 41.13 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MURPHY 4ESE (12 mi away)17.1

Homes

Housing units7,497
Median year built1990
Built before 198034%
Built 2000 or later29%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$278,400
Single-family detached77%

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
Towns County, GA 10 mi 0% 6%
Cherokee County, NC 18 mi 0% 5%
Macon County, NC 20 mi 0% 3%
Union County, GA 20 mi 0% 6%
Graham County, NC 21 mi 0% 4%
Rabun County, GA 23 mi 0% 4%
White County, GA 28 mi 0% 8%
Habersham County, GA 32 mi 0% 8%

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