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Rowan County, North Carolina

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17% of Rowan County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties and the 9th highest of 100 North Carolina counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.

8.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 26 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

17%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

15%

high water table: limits basements

9%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Rowan County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)17.3%
High water table (limits basements)14.9%
Septic fields very limited52.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)12.9%
Urban land, not rated1.5%
Mapped soil334,934 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Cecil22%0%
Pacolet15%0%
Enon9%n/a
Chewacla7%n/a
Lloyd7%n/a
Vance5%n/a
Cabarrus County: 22%Davie County: 15%Davidson County: 16%Iredell County: 1%Stanly County: 4%Mecklenburg County: 16%Yadkin County: 1%Forsyth County: 2%Rowan County CabarrusDavieDavidsonIredellStanlyMecklenburgYadkinForsythRowan
Rowan County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NC159 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.0% by land area here, and 13% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 8.9% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 17% of Rowan County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.39 in, 15.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.59 in.

USDA rates 52% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

8.9% 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 35 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 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 worse8.9%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

26 flood losses since 2016, $736,409 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 14.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
201814
20190
202011
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.59 in
12 months to August 202629.39 in (-15.20)
202536.45 in (-8.14)
Wettest year since 18951929: 64.71 in
Driest year since 18951986: 29.22 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SALISBURY (3 mi away)11.3

Homes

Housing units64,975
Median year built1983
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$238,400
Single-family detached72%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Cabarrus County, NC 18 mi 22% 22%
Davie County, NC 20 mi 15% 13%
Davidson County, NC 20 mi 16% 15%
Iredell County, NC 23 mi 1% 9%
Stanly County, NC 28 mi 4% 18%
Mecklenburg County, NC 33 mi 16% 16%
Yadkin County, NC 37 mi 1% 9%
Forsyth County, NC 37 mi 2% 11%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status