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Davie County, North Carolina

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15% of Davie County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 13%.

37.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

15%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

13%

high water table: limits basements

37%

in drought, October 13, 2026

36%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Davie County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)15.0%
High water table (limits basements)13.5%
Septic fields very limited55.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.9%
Mapped soil170,797 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Pacolet13%0%
Tomlin10%n/a
Clover10%n/a
Rasalo8%n/a
Fairview7%0%
Codorus6%n/a
Yadkin County: 1%Rowan County: 17%Iredell County: 1%Davidson County: 16%Forsyth County: 2%Surry County: 0%Stokes County: 1%Alexander County: 0%Davie County YadkinRowanIredellDavidsonForsythSurryStokesAlexanderDavie
Davie 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 NC059 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.9% by land area here, and 11% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 37.1% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Davie County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.89 in, 14.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.37 in.

USDA rates 55% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

37.1% 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 34 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 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 worse37.1%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

5 flood losses since 2016, $34,719 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20190
20203
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.37 in
12 months to August 202629.89 in (-14.48)
202537.94 in (-6.43)
Wettest year since 18952020: 65.33 in
Driest year since 18951986: 29.95 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOCKSVILLE 5SE (7 mi away)12.1

Homes

Housing units19,311
Median year built1990
Built before 198036%
Built 2000 or later32%
Owner-occupied82%
Median value, owner-occupied$253,900
Single-family detached75%

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
Yadkin County, NC 18 mi 1% 9%
Rowan County, NC 20 mi 17% 15%
Iredell County, NC 20 mi 1% 9%
Davidson County, NC 21 mi 16% 15%
Forsyth County, NC 21 mi 2% 11%
Surry County, NC 35 mi under 1% 4%
Stokes County, NC 35 mi 1% 7%
Alexander County, NC 36 mi 0% 5%

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