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Northampton County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Northampton County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

86%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

48%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Northampton County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.4%
High water table (limits basements)85.9%
Septic fields very limited82.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.4%
Mapped soil351,757 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Craven10%n/a
Norfolk10%63%
Bethera9%n/a
Wehadkee9%n/a
Bonneau8%n/a
Gritney7%n/a
Halifax County: 73%Greensville County: 80%Emporia city: 70%Hertford County: 92%Southampton County: 91%Franklin city: 88%Bertie County: 89%Brunswick County: 32%Northampton County HalifaxGreensvilleEmporia cityHertfordSouthamptonFranklin cityBertieBrunswickNorthampton
Northampton 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 NC131 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 86% of Northampton 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: 32.35 in, 16.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.11 in.

USDA rates 82% 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 43 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 worse66.6%
D3 extreme or worse13.3%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

5 flood losses since 2016, $41,257 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20165
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.11 in
12 months to August 202632.35 in (-16.76)
202545.46 in (-3.65)
Wettest year since 18952020: 65.55 in
Driest year since 18951930: 32.00 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JACKSON (2 mi away)13.9

Homes

Housing units10,641
Median year built1981
Built before 198048%
Built 2000 or later20%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$114,500
Single-family detached64%

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
Halifax County, NC 18 mi 1% 73%
Greensville County, VA 20 mi 8% 80%
Emporia city, VA 20 mi 3% 70%
Hertford County, NC 24 mi 20% 92%
Southampton County, VA 26 mi 0% 91%
Franklin city, VA 31 mi 0% 88%
Bertie County, NC 35 mi 14% 89%
Brunswick County, VA 35 mi 10% 32%

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