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Person County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 29% of Person County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 18%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Person County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 17.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 55.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.0% |
| Mapped soil | 258,707 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Georgeville | 15% | 0% |
| Lignum | 9% | n/a |
| Herndon | 7% | n/a |
| Helena | 7% | n/a |
| Siloam | 7% | n/a |
| Appling | 7% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas NC145 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 18% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 18% of Person County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 29% of Person 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: 25.94 in, 20.16 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.10 in.
USDA rates 56% 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 50 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 99.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 55.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $26,614 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.94 in (-20.16) |
| 2025 | 44.28 in (-1.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 68.25 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 28.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROXBORO 7 ESE (6 mi away) | 13.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,584 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $213,900 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granville County, NC | 19 mi | 26% | 35% |
| Caswell County, NC | 20 mi | 35% | 21% |
| Orange County, NC | 24 mi | 16% | 20% |
| Durham County, NC | 25 mi | 43% | 56% |
| Halifax County, VA | 26 mi | 14% | 21% |
| Danville city, VA | 28 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Vance County, NC | 32 mi | 6% | 10% |
| Alamance County, NC | 34 mi | 20% | 24% |
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