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Pender County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 94% of Pender County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 4th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
46.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,520 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 20% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1998.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Pender County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 93.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Mapped soil | 562,381 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Murville | 10% | n/a |
| Croatan | 10% | n/a |
| Rains | 8% | n/a |
| Muckalee | 6% | n/a |
| Woodington | 5% | n/a |
| Goldsboro | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC141 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 94% of Pender 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: 40.99 in, 15.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.78 in.
USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
46.2% 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 30 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 46.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 15.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1,520 flood losses since 2016, $70.5 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1,330. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 12% slabs, 18% crawl spaces, 69% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 25 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 139 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1,330 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.99 in (-15.79) |
| 2025 | 46.49 in (-10.29) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 82.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 34.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILMINGTON 7 N (13 mi away) | 18.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 31,844 |
| Median year built | 1998 |
| Built before 1980 | 20% |
| Built 2000 or later | 46% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $299,000 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover County, NC | 23 mi | 6% | 68% |
| Onslow County, NC | 28 mi | 2% | 84% |
| Duplin County, NC | 29 mi | 0% | 92% |
| Bladen County, NC | 37 mi | 1% | 88% |
| Brunswick County, NC | 38 mi | 3% | 89% |
| Sampson County, NC | 43 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Columbus County, NC | 46 mi | 6% | 95% |
| Jones County, NC | 47 mi | 6% | 95% |
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