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Duplin County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Duplin County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 6th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

99.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 383 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

92%

high water table: limits basements

99%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Duplin County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)92.4%
Septic fields very limited70.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil524,429 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Autryville16%n/a
Foreston9%n/a
Woodington8%n/a
Goldsboro7%n/a
Noboco7%n/a
Rains7%n/a
Sampson County: 80%Lenoir County: 88%Onslow County: 84%Pender County: 94%Wayne County: 70%Jones County: 95%Greene County: 83%Bladen County: 88%Duplin County SampsonLenoirOnslowPenderWayneJonesGreeneBladenDuplin
Duplin 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 NC061 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 92% of Duplin 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: 34.83 in, 19.00 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.83 in.

USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

99.1% 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 40 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 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 worse99.1%
D2 severe or worse25.1%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

383 flood losses since 2016, $49.2 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 305. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 26% slabs, 46% crawl spaces, 25% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 59 in.

YearFlood losses
201672
20170
2018305
20191
20204
20210
20220
20230
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202053.83 in
12 months to August 202634.83 in (-19.00)
202546.46 in (-7.37)
Wettest year since 18952018: 75.32 in
Driest year since 18951926: 36.81 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLINTON 2 NE (20 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units23,861
Median year built1986
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied70%
Median value, owner-occupied$137,400
Single-family detached60%

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
Sampson County, NC 25 mi 0% 80%
Lenoir County, NC 27 mi 2% 88%
Onslow County, NC 28 mi 2% 84%
Pender County, NC 29 mi 1% 94%
Wayne County, NC 29 mi 1% 70%
Jones County, NC 33 mi 6% 95%
Greene County, NC 40 mi 0% 83%
Bladen County, NC 42 mi 1% 88%

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