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Perquimans County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of Perquimans County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 24 flood losses here since 2016. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

72%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

36%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Perquimans County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)72.4%
Septic fields very limited73.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil208,845 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Roanoke21%n/a
Portsmouth9%n/a
Tomotley7%n/a
Arapahoe6%n/a
Chowan4%n/a
Perquimans4%n/a
Pasquotank County: 76%Chowan County: 62%Camden County: 74%Gates County: 93%Washington County: 80%Tyrrell County: 64%Currituck County: 52%Bertie County: 89%Perquimans County PasquotankChowanCamdenGatesWashingtonTyrrellCurrituckBertiePerquimans
Perquimans 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 NC143 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 72% of Perquimans 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: 40.19 in, 10.25 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.44 in.

USDA rates 73% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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 worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

24 flood losses since 2016, $180,481 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 16.

YearFlood losses
201616
20170
20183
20193
20200
20210
20220
20230
20242
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.44 in
12 months to August 202640.19 in (-10.25)
202544.26 in (-6.18)
Wettest year since 18951989: 65.58 in
Driest year since 18952007: 31.18 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EDENTON (14 mi away)14.7

Homes

Housing units6,967
Median year built1991
Built before 198036%
Built 2000 or later33%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$231,700
Single-family detached70%

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
Pasquotank County, NC 10 mi 2% 76%
Chowan County, NC 12 mi 0% 62%
Camden County, NC 17 mi under 1% 74%
Gates County, NC 25 mi under 1% 93%
Washington County, NC 25 mi 3% 80%
Tyrrell County, NC 25 mi 0% 64%
Currituck County, NC 31 mi under 1% 52%
Bertie County, NC 32 mi 14% 89%

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