HomeNorth CarolinaHertford County
Hertford County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Hertford County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 7th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 31 flood losses here since 2016. 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 Hertford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 91.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.4% |
| Mapped soil | 231,738 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Craven | 21% | n/a |
| Leaf | 20% | n/a |
| Lenoir | 8% | n/a |
| Norfolk | 8% | 63% |
| Dorovan | 7% | n/a |
| Bonneau | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC091 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Hertford County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 92% of Hertford 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: 36.89 in, 12.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.65 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 31 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 | 50% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
31 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 25. Median water depth outside the building: 18 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 25 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.89 in (-12.76) |
| 2025 | 44.94 in (-4.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 66.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 33.45 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MURFREESBORO (8 mi away) | 14.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,816 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $119,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates County, NC | 16 mi | under 1% | 93% |
| Bertie County, NC | 21 mi | 14% | 89% |
| Franklin city, VA | 22 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Northampton County, NC | 24 mi | under 1% | 86% |
| Southampton County, VA | 26 mi | 0% | 91% |
| Chowan County, NC | 27 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Suffolk city, VA | 30 mi | 6% | 79% |
| Perquimans County, NC | 35 mi | 0% | 72% |
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