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Sampson County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Sampson County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

89.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 97 flood losses here since 2016, 10% of them in buildings with basements. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

80%

high water table: limits basements

89%

in drought, October 13, 2026

40%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Sampson County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)79.6%
Septic fields very limited55.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil606,304 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Norfolk14%63%
Wagram12%n/a
Rains9%n/a
Bibb7%n/a
Goldsboro7%n/a
Autryville6%n/a
Duplin County: 92%Cumberland County: 58%Bladen County: 88%Wayne County: 70%Johnston County: 74%Harnett County: 62%Pender County: 94%Lenoir County: 88%Sampson County DuplinCumberlandBladenWayneJohnstonHarnettPenderLenoirSampson
Sampson 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 NC163 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 80% of Sampson 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: 33.00 in, 17.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.48 in.

USDA rates 56% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

89.3% 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 39 weeks, most recently on the August 25, 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 worse89.3%
D2 severe or worse20.1%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

97 flood losses since 2016, $5.7 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 52. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% basements, 17% slabs, 46% crawl spaces, 27% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 42.5 in.

YearFlood losses
201639
20170
201852
20190
20202
20210
20220
20230
20243
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.48 in
12 months to August 202633.00 in (-17.48)
202544.16 in (-6.32)
Wettest year since 18952018: 68.52 in
Driest year since 18952007: 34.30 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLINTON 2 NE (6 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units25,852
Median year built1988
Built before 198040%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$150,700
Single-family detached62%

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
Duplin County, NC 25 mi 0% 92%
Cumberland County, NC 26 mi under 1% 58%
Bladen County, NC 29 mi 1% 88%
Wayne County, NC 32 mi 1% 70%
Johnston County, NC 36 mi 1% 74%
Harnett County, NC 39 mi under 1% 62%
Pender County, NC 43 mi 1% 94%
Lenoir County, NC 45 mi 2% 88%

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