HomeNorth CarolinaGates County

Gates County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 93% of Gates County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 5th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

87.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

93%

high water table: limits basements

88%

in drought, October 13, 2026

35%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Gates County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.2%
High water table (limits basements)92.9%
Septic fields very limited98.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.2%
Mapped soil221,088 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Bladen22%n/a
Dorovan8%n/a
Goldsboro8%n/a
Craven7%n/a
Pungo6%n/a
Rains6%n/a
Hertford County: 92%Suffolk city: 79%Franklin city: 88%Chowan County: 62%Perquimans County: 72%Pasquotank County: 76%Chesapeake city: 88%Southampton County: 91%Gates County HertfordSuffolk cityFranklin cityChowanPerquimansPasquotankChesapeake citySouthamptonGates
Gates 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 NC073 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 93% of Gates 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: 39.53 in, 10.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.73 in.

USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

87.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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 worse87.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

16 flood losses since 2016, $213,666 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 16.

YearFlood losses
201616
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.73 in
12 months to August 202639.53 in (-10.20)
202546.28 in (-3.45)
Wettest year since 18951989: 66.41 in
Driest year since 18952001: 33.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOLLAND 1 E (17 mi away)12.7

Homes

Housing units4,827
Median year built1991
Built before 198035%
Built 2000 or later29%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$170,800
Single-family detached61%

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
Hertford County, NC 16 mi 20% 92%
Suffolk city, VA 18 mi 6% 79%
Franklin city, VA 21 mi 0% 88%
Chowan County, NC 22 mi 0% 62%
Perquimans County, NC 25 mi 0% 72%
Pasquotank County, NC 27 mi 2% 76%
Chesapeake city, VA 28 mi 0% 88%
Southampton County, VA 29 mi 0% 91%

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