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Edgecombe County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Edgecombe County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 377 flood losses here since 2016, 8% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Edgecombe County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.8% |
| Mapped soil | 323,641 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 14% | 63% |
| Roanoke | 10% | n/a |
| Rains | 10% | n/a |
| Goldsboro | 8% | n/a |
| Wagram | 7% | n/a |
| Altavista | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC065 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 84% of Edgecombe 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: 31.36 in, 17.22 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.58 in.
USDA rates 72% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 48 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 | 13.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
377 flood losses since 2016, $16.6 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 333. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 8% basements, 30% slabs, 43% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 22 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 333 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 32 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.36 in (-17.22) |
| 2025 | 42.80 in (-5.78) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 66.72 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 34.46 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TARBORO 1 S (4 mi away) | 13.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 23,281 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $125,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nash County, NC | 22 mi | 1% | 64% |
| Halifax County, NC | 23 mi | 1% | 73% |
| Wilson County, NC | 23 mi | under 1% | 86% |
| Pitt County, NC | 26 mi | 4% | 88% |
| Martin County, NC | 27 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Greene County, NC | 30 mi | 0% | 83% |
| Northampton County, NC | 37 mi | under 1% | 86% |
| Bertie County, NC | 37 mi | 14% | 89% |
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