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Harnett County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 62% of Harnett County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

94.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 87 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

62%

high water table: limits basements

94%

in drought, October 13, 2026

27%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Harnett County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.2%
High water table (limits basements)62.4%
Septic fields very limited68.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.2%
Mapped soil384,966 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Norfolk11%63%
Gilead10%n/a
Blaney9%n/a
Cecil7%0%
Bibb6%n/a
Dothan6%over 99%
Lee County: 38%Cumberland County: 58%Johnston County: 74%Chatham County: 44%Wake County: 32%Hoke County: 45%Moore County: 28%Sampson County: 80%Harnett County LeeCumberlandJohnstonChathamWakeHokeMooreSampsonHarnett
Harnett 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 NC085 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 62% of Harnett 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: 32.81 in, 14.59 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.40 in.

USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

94.2% 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 42 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 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 worse94.2%
D2 severe or worse54.6%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

87 flood losses since 2016, $2.2 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 44. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 26% slabs, 48% crawl spaces, 26% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 21 in.

YearFlood losses
201631
20173
201844
20191
20201
20211
20220
20231
20244
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.40 in
12 months to August 202632.81 in (-14.59)
202543.27 in (-4.13)
Wettest year since 18952018: 66.28 in
Driest year since 18951933: 33.45 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DUNN 4 NW (11 mi away)15.1

Homes

Housing units54,902
Median year built1997
Built before 198027%
Built 2000 or later44%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$246,200
Single-family detached71%

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
Lee County, NC 18 mi 5% 38%
Cumberland County, NC 22 mi under 1% 58%
Johnston County, NC 30 mi 1% 74%
Chatham County, NC 32 mi 14% 44%
Wake County, NC 32 mi 4% 32%
Hoke County, NC 32 mi 0% 45%
Moore County, NC 35 mi 1% 28%
Sampson County, NC 39 mi 0% 80%

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