HomeNorth CarolinaCleveland County

Cleveland County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Cleveland County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 13.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 17.4% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

13%

in drought, October 13, 2026

51%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cleveland County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.5%
High water table (limits basements)7.2%
Septic fields very limited62.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.5%
Urban land, not rated1.6%
Mapped soil299,769 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Pacolet32%0%
Cecil15%0%
Bethlehem11%n/a
Hulett7%n/a
Saw6%n/a
Madison5%0%
Cherokee County: 1%Rutherford County: 0%Lincoln County: 1%Gaston County: 3%Burke County: 0%Catawba County: 0%York County: 23%Polk County: 0%Cleveland County CherokeeRutherfordLincolnGastonBurkeCatawbaYorkPolkCleveland
Cleveland 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 NC045 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 33.17 in, 14.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.99 in.

USDA rates 62% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Cleveland County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

13.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 40 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 worse60.9%
D1 moderate drought or worse13.4%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

15 flood losses since 2016, $296,032 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20207
20211
20220
20230
20247
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.99 in
12 months to August 202633.17 in (-14.82)
202539.90 in (-8.09)
Wettest year since 18951901: 69.00 in
Driest year since 18952007: 27.99 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SHELBY 2 NW (2 mi away)14.4

Homes

Housing units44,304
Median year built1979
Built before 198051%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$200,000
Single-family detached70%

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
Cherokee County, SC 20 mi 1% 5%
Rutherford County, NC 21 mi under 1% 8%
Lincoln County, NC 21 mi 1% 9%
Gaston County, NC 22 mi 3% 10%
Burke County, NC 30 mi 0% 2%
Catawba County, NC 30 mi under 1% 9%
York County, SC 33 mi 23% 23%
Polk County, NC 35 mi under 1% 6%

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