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Moore County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Moore County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

83.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 123 flood losses here since 2016, 10% of them in buildings with basements. 30% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

84%

in drought, October 13, 2026

30%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Moore County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.9%
High water table (limits basements)27.9%
Septic fields very limited58.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.9%
Mapped soil451,552 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Candor17%n/a
Ailey13%n/a
Nanford10%n/a
Vaucluse9%n/a
Georgeville8%0%
Bibb5%n/a
Lee County: 38%Montgomery County: 19%Hoke County: 45%Richmond County: 23%Chatham County: 44%Scotland County: 69%Randolph County: 13%Harnett County: 62%Moore County LeeMontgomeryHokeRichmondChathamScotlandRandolphHarnettMoore
Moore 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 NC125 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 28% of Moore 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: 29.28 in, 17.02 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.30 in.

USDA rates 58% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

83.9% 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 31 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 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 worse83.9%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

123 flood losses since 2016, $2.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 54. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% basements, 18% slabs, 44% crawl spaces, 28% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.

YearFlood losses
201654
20171
201839
20191
20200
20211
20220
20230
20242
202525
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.30 in
12 months to August 202629.28 in (-17.02)
202546.46 in (+0.16)
Wettest year since 18952018: 68.38 in
Driest year since 18951933: 33.10 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JACKSON SPRINGS 5 WNW (13 mi away)14.4

Homes

Housing units50,280
Median year built1994
Built before 198030%
Built 2000 or later39%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$351,400
Single-family detached74%

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
Lee County, NC 21 mi 5% 38%
Montgomery County, NC 24 mi 4% 19%
Hoke County, NC 25 mi 0% 45%
Richmond County, NC 26 mi 5% 23%
Chatham County, NC 31 mi 14% 44%
Scotland County, NC 32 mi 0% 69%
Randolph County, NC 33 mi 14% 13%
Harnett County, NC 35 mi under 1% 62%

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