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Mitchell County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Mitchell County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

2%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

53%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mitchell County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.5%
High water table (limits basements)2.5%
Septic fields very limited88.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil142,080 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Saunook15%n/a
Thunder10%n/a
Fannin7%n/a
Huntdale7%n/a
Buladean6%n/a
Plott6%n/a
Yancey County: 0%Avery County: 0%Unicoi County: 0%Carter County: 1%McDowell County: 0%Washington County: 1%Watauga County: 0%Burke County: 0%Mitchell County YanceyAveryUnicoiCarterMcDowellWashingtonWataugaBurkeMitchell
Mitchell County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NC121 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.46 in, 9.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.90 in.

USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Mitchell County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse88%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

17 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 15.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20201
20210
20220
20230
202415
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202052.90 in
12 months to August 202643.46 in (-9.44)
202544.01 in (-8.89)
Wettest year since 18952018: 73.51 in
Driest year since 18951925: 34.05 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ERWIN 1 W (17 mi away)10.3

Homes

Housing units8,697
Median year built1978
Built before 198053%
Built 2000 or later18%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$220,100
Single-family detached77%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Yancey County, NC 12 mi 0% 3%
Avery County, NC 14 mi 0% 4%
Unicoi County, TN 15 mi 0% 1%
Carter County, TN 19 mi 1% 1%
McDowell County, NC 24 mi 0% 5%
Washington County, TN 27 mi 1% 10%
Watauga County, NC 29 mi 0% 4%
Burke County, NC 32 mi 0% 2%

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