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Jones County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 95% of Jones County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.

95.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 120 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

95%

high water table: limits basements

95%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Jones County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.8%
High water table (limits basements)95.0%
Septic fields very limited92.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.8%
Mapped soil301,191 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Croatan13%n/a
Pantego9%n/a
Rains8%n/a
Woodington7%n/a
Torhunta7%n/a
Goldsboro6%n/a
Craven County: 85%Onslow County: 84%Lenoir County: 88%Duplin County: 92%Greene County: 83%Pitt County: 88%Pamlico County: 55%Beaufort County: 83%Jones County CravenOnslowLenoirDuplinGreenePittPamlicoBeaufortJones
Jones 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 NC103 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 95% of Jones 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: 39.54 in, 15.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.25 in.

USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

95.4% 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 22 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 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 worse95.4%
D2 severe or worse0.1%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

120 flood losses since 2016, $14.0 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 101. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 21% slabs, 43% crawl spaces, 31% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 58 in.

YearFlood losses
201618
20170
2018101
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202055.25 in
12 months to August 202639.54 in (-15.71)
202548.43 in (-6.82)
Wettest year since 18952018: 78.44 in
Driest year since 18951954: 37.14 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KINSTON 7 SE (16 mi away)14.6

Homes

Housing units4,698
Median year built1988
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later32%
Owner-occupied79%
Median value, owner-occupied$130,300
Single-family detached65%

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
Craven County, NC 17 mi 9% 85%
Onslow County, NC 20 mi 2% 84%
Lenoir County, NC 21 mi 2% 88%
Duplin County, NC 33 mi 0% 92%
Greene County, NC 36 mi 0% 83%
Pitt County, NC 39 mi 4% 88%
Pamlico County, NC 40 mi 2% 55%
Beaufort County, NC 43 mi 7% 83%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status