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Cumberland County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 58% of Cumberland County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
17.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 609 flood losses here since 2016, 7% of them in buildings with basements. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Cumberland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.1% |
| Mapped soil | 421,414 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wagram | 8% | n/a |
| Johnston | 7% | n/a |
| Candor | 7% | n/a |
| Blaney | 7% | n/a |
| Autryville | 4% | n/a |
| Lakeland | 4% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas NC051 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 58% of Cumberland 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: 31.90 in, 15.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.87 in.
USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
17.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 37 weeks, most recently on the August 25, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 17.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 1.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
609 flood losses since 2016, $22.8 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 329. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 7% basements, 29% slabs, 50% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 329 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 204 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.87 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.90 in (-15.97) |
| 2025 | 40.40 in (-7.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 63.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 31.79 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FAYETTEVILLE (PWC) (2 mi away) | 12.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 143,798 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 55% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,200 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harnett County, NC | 22 mi | under 1% | 62% |
| Hoke County, NC | 23 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Sampson County, NC | 26 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Robeson County, NC | 32 mi | under 1% | 85% |
| Lee County, NC | 35 mi | 5% | 38% |
| Bladen County, NC | 36 mi | 1% | 88% |
| Scotland County, NC | 40 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Johnston County, NC | 41 mi | 1% | 74% |
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