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Durham County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 56% of Durham County's mapped land, a higher share than 71% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 195 flood losses here since 2016, 14% of them in buildings with basements. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.
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 Durham County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 42.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 55.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 64.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 41.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.0% |
| Mapped soil | 191,066 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| White Store | 30% | n/a |
| Georgeville | 7% | 0% |
| Mayodan | 7% | n/a |
| Creedmoor | 6% | n/a |
| Herndon | 6% | n/a |
| Chewacla | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC063 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.2% by land area here, and 42% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 43% of Durham County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 56% of Durham 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: 31.03 in, 15.84 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.87 in.
USDA rates 65% 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 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 50 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 48.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
195 flood losses since 2016, $8.6 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 58. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 14% basements, 30% slabs, 37% crawl spaces, 20% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 41 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 58 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 30 |
| 2025 | 47 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.87 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.03 in (-15.84) |
| 2025 | 45.66 in (-1.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 64.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 28.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BUTNER FLTR PLT (9 mi away) | 12 |
Homes
| Housing units | 153,022 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 41% |
| Owner-occupied | 56% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $389,400 |
| Single-family detached | 55% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County, NC | 14 mi | 16% | 20% |
| Wake County, NC | 21 mi | 4% | 32% |
| Granville County, NC | 22 mi | 26% | 35% |
| Person County, NC | 25 mi | 18% | 29% |
| Alamance County, NC | 29 mi | 20% | 24% |
| Chatham County, NC | 31 mi | 14% | 44% |
| Franklin County, NC | 33 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Vance County, NC | 35 mi | 6% | 10% |
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