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Rutherford County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Rutherford County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 78 flood losses here since 2016, 12% of them in buildings with basements. 49% 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

8%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Rutherford County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.3%
High water table (limits basements)7.8%
Septic fields very limited69.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.3%
Mapped soil364,429 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Pacolet34%0%
Evard10%0%
Madison9%0%
Cecil7%0%
Bethlehem7%n/a
Cowee5%n/a
Polk County: 0%McDowell County: 0%Cleveland County: 1%Burke County: 0%Cherokee County: 1%Henderson County: 0%Spartanburg County: 1%Buncombe County: 0%Rutherford County PolkMcDowellClevelandBurkeCherokeeHendersonSpartanburgBuncombeRutherford
Rutherford 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 NC161 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 36.58 in, 14.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.94 in.

USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Rutherford County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

78 flood losses since 2016, $7.2 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 50. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 12% basements, 18% slabs, 18% crawl spaces, 52% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 36 in.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20189
20191
20207
20219
20220
20230
202450
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.94 in
12 months to August 202636.58 in (-14.36)
202541.18 in (-9.76)
Wettest year since 18951901: 76.04 in
Driest year since 18951925: 30.59 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAKE LURE 2 (15 mi away)17.6

Homes

Housing units32,775
Median year built1981
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$201,800
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
Polk County, NC 16 mi under 1% 6%
McDowell County, NC 21 mi 0% 5%
Cleveland County, NC 21 mi 1% 7%
Burke County, NC 27 mi 0% 2%
Cherokee County, SC 30 mi 1% 5%
Henderson County, NC 32 mi under 1% 10%
Spartanburg County, SC 33 mi 1% 10%
Buncombe County, NC 37 mi 0% 4%

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