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Granville County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Granville County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 33% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Granville County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 53.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.6% |
| Mapped soil | 343,744 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Georgeville | 16% | 0% |
| Cecil | 12% | 0% |
| Creedmoor | 10% | n/a |
| Vance | 7% | n/a |
| Herndon | 6% | n/a |
| Enon | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC077 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 26% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 26% of Granville County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 35% of Granville 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: 29.35 in, 16.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.88 in.
USDA rates 54% 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 | 49.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 18.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $130,616 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.88 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.35 in (-16.53) |
| 2025 | 45.55 in (-0.33) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 66.38 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 31.02 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BUTNER FLTR PLT (13 mi away) | 12 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,787 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 36% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $247,700 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vance County, NC | 15 mi | 6% | 10% |
| Person County, NC | 19 mi | 18% | 29% |
| Durham County, NC | 22 mi | 43% | 56% |
| Franklin County, NC | 25 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Orange County, NC | 31 mi | 16% | 20% |
| Mecklenburg County, VA | 31 mi | 10% | 18% |
| Warren County, NC | 32 mi | 5% | 13% |
| Wake County, NC | 35 mi | 4% | 32% |
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