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Montgomery County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Montgomery County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.

87.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

19%

high water table: limits basements

87%

in drought, October 13, 2026

44%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Montgomery County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.9%
High water table (limits basements)19.3%
Septic fields very limited52.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.9%
Mapped soil320,992 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Herndon29%n/a
Badin14%n/a
Georgeville12%0%
Tarrus11%n/a
Ailey5%n/a
Goldston3%n/a
Stanly County: 18%Moore County: 28%Richmond County: 23%Anson County: 37%Randolph County: 13%Davidson County: 15%Cabarrus County: 22%Rowan County: 15%Montgomery County StanlyMooreRichmondAnsonRandolphDavidsonCabarrusRowanMontgomery
Montgomery 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 NC123 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 19% of Montgomery 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: 28.62 in, 18.01 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.63 in.

USDA rates 52% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

87.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 39 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 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 worse87.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $36,504 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.63 in
12 months to August 202628.62 in (-18.01)
202545.44 in (-1.19)
Wettest year since 18952018: 69.58 in
Driest year since 18952007: 31.76 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JACKSON SPRINGS 5 WNW (17 mi away)14.4

Homes

Housing units14,998
Median year built1984
Built before 198044%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$161,700
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
Stanly County, NC 19 mi 4% 18%
Moore County, NC 24 mi 1% 28%
Richmond County, NC 24 mi 5% 23%
Anson County, NC 27 mi 15% 37%
Randolph County, NC 27 mi 14% 13%
Davidson County, NC 36 mi 16% 15%
Cabarrus County, NC 36 mi 22% 22%
Rowan County, NC 41 mi 17% 15%

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