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Forsyth County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Forsyth County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 107 flood losses here since 2016, 13% of them in buildings with basements. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

11%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

44%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Forsyth County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.1%
High water table (limits basements)10.9%
Septic fields very limited54.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.1%
Urban land, not rated2.0%
Mapped soil264,909 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Fairview28%0%
Clifford13%0%
Tomlin8%n/a
Poplar Forest7%n/a
Codorus6%n/a
Siloam5%n/a
Stokes County: 1%Davie County: 15%Yadkin County: 1%Davidson County: 16%Guilford County: 35%Surry County: 0%Rockingham County: 2%Rowan County: 17%Forsyth County StokesDavieYadkinDavidsonGuilfordSurryRockinghamRowanForsyth
Forsyth 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 NC067 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.82 in, 15.22 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.04 in.

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

With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Forsyth County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 44 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse19.4%
D3 extreme or worse0.1%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

107 flood losses since 2016, $1.6 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 39. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 13% basements, 11% slabs, 23% crawl spaces, 53% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.

YearFlood losses
20164
201714
201839
20193
202028
20216
20224
20230
20245
20254
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.04 in
12 months to August 202629.82 in (-15.22)
202540.86 in (-4.18)
Wettest year since 18952020: 66.16 in
Driest year since 18951941: 30.15 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at YADKINVILLE 6 E (16 mi away)11.4

Homes

Housing units175,631
Median year built1984
Built before 198044%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied64%
Median value, owner-occupied$250,400
Single-family detached67%

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
Stokes County, NC 18 mi 1% 7%
Davie County, NC 21 mi 15% 13%
Yadkin County, NC 23 mi 1% 9%
Davidson County, NC 23 mi 16% 15%
Guilford County, NC 26 mi 35% 9%
Surry County, NC 31 mi under 1% 4%
Rockingham County, NC 32 mi 2% 9%
Rowan County, NC 37 mi 17% 15%

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