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Lee County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Lee County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

38%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lee County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.2%
High water table (limits basements)38.1%
Septic fields very limited61.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.2%
Urban land, not rated1.0%
Mapped soil166,099 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Mayodan23%n/a
Pinkston14%n/a
Fuquay8%n/a
Dothan5%over 99%
Cecil4%0%
Wehadkee4%n/a
Chatham County: 44%Harnett County: 62%Moore County: 28%Hoke County: 45%Cumberland County: 58%Wake County: 32%Randolph County: 13%Orange County: 20%Lee County ChathamHarnettMooreHokeCumberlandWakeRandolphOrangeLee
Lee 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 NC105 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 38% of Lee 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: 34.52 in, 11.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.85 in.

USDA rates 61% 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 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 46 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse19.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

32 flood losses since 2016, $796,921 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 13. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.

YearFlood losses
20169
20170
201813
20196
20201
20210
20220
20230
20242
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.85 in
12 months to August 202634.52 in (-11.33)
202545.05 in (-0.80)
Wettest year since 18952018: 64.73 in
Driest year since 18951933: 30.00 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SANFORD 8 NE (8 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units27,166
Median year built1988
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later31%
Owner-occupied67%
Median value, owner-occupied$240,200
Single-family detached68%

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
Chatham County, NC 16 mi 14% 44%
Harnett County, NC 18 mi under 1% 62%
Moore County, NC 21 mi 1% 28%
Hoke County, NC 32 mi 0% 45%
Cumberland County, NC 35 mi under 1% 58%
Wake County, NC 36 mi 4% 32%
Randolph County, NC 39 mi 14% 13%
Orange County, NC 41 mi 16% 20%

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