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Lenoir County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Lenoir County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 437 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

88%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

54%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lenoir County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.7%
High water table (limits basements)87.9%
Septic fields very limited77.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.7%
Mapped soil257,549 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Norfolk14%63%
Pocalla10%n/a
Rains7%n/a
Goldsboro6%n/a
Wagram6%n/a
Lynchburg5%n/a
Greene County: 83%Jones County: 95%Wayne County: 70%Duplin County: 92%Pitt County: 88%Craven County: 85%Onslow County: 84%Wilson County: 86%Lenoir County GreeneJonesWayneDuplinPittCravenOnslowWilsonLenoir
Lenoir 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 NC107 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 88% of Lenoir 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: 33.14 in, 20.04 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.18 in.

USDA rates 78% 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.

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 worse72.6%
D3 extreme or worse38.1%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

437 flood losses since 2016, $33.2 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 266. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 39% slabs, 45% crawl spaces, 17% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 22 in.

YearFlood losses
2016266
20173
2018146
20192
202016
20212
20220
20230
20241
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202053.18 in
12 months to August 202633.14 in (-20.04)
202546.38 in (-6.80)
Wettest year since 18952018: 71.97 in
Driest year since 18951954: 35.82 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KINSTON AG RSCH (5 mi away)15.4

Homes

Housing units26,879
Median year built1978
Built before 198054%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied59%
Median value, owner-occupied$120,500
Single-family detached61%

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
Greene County, NC 17 mi 0% 83%
Jones County, NC 21 mi 6% 95%
Wayne County, NC 22 mi 1% 70%
Duplin County, NC 27 mi 0% 92%
Pitt County, NC 29 mi 4% 88%
Craven County, NC 32 mi 9% 85%
Onslow County, NC 34 mi 2% 84%
Wilson County, NC 36 mi under 1% 86%

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