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Columbus County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 95% of Columbus County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 503 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

95%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Columbus County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.6%
High water table (limits basements)95.1%
Septic fields very limited84.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.6%
Mapped soil609,882 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rains10%n/a
Lynchburg10%n/a
Norfolk8%63%
Goldsboro7%n/a
Grifton7%n/a
Meggett6%n/a
Bladen County: 88%Brunswick County: 89%Horry County: 92%Robeson County: 85%Marion County: 84%Dillon County: 88%New Hanover County: 68%Pender County: 94%Columbus County BladenBrunswickHorryRobesonMarionDillonNew HanoverPenderColumbus
Columbus 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 NC047 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 95% of Columbus 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: 34.61 in, 17.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.97 in.

USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 40 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse95.2%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

503 flood losses since 2016, $22.5 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 307. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 43% slabs, 43% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20 in.

YearFlood losses
2016107
20170
2018307
20192
20202
20214
20222
202334
202419
202526
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.97 in
12 months to August 202634.61 in (-17.36)
202549.62 in (-2.35)
Wettest year since 18952018: 66.61 in
Driest year since 18952007: 32.30 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WHITEVILLE 7 NW (13 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units23,563
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$146,000
Single-family detached62%

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
Bladen County, NC 24 mi 1% 88%
Brunswick County, NC 28 mi 3% 89%
Horry County, SC 31 mi 5% 92%
Robeson County, NC 37 mi under 1% 85%
Marion County, SC 43 mi 0% 84%
Dillon County, SC 43 mi 0% 88%
New Hanover County, NC 45 mi 6% 68%
Pender County, NC 46 mi 1% 94%

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