HomeNorth CarolinaScotland County

Scotland County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 69% of Scotland County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

3.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

69%

high water table: limits basements

4%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Scotland County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)69.0%
Septic fields very limited63.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil205,331 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Johnston9%n/a
Wagram9%n/a
Wakulla9%n/a
Autryville9%n/a
Candor8%n/a
Noboco6%n/a
Hoke County: 45%Richmond County: 23%Marlboro County: 83%Robeson County: 85%Dillon County: 88%Moore County: 28%Anson County: 37%Cumberland County: 58%Scotland County HokeRichmondMarlboroRobesonDillonMooreAnsonCumberlandScotland
Scotland 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 NC165 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 69% of Scotland 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: 30.46 in, 15.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.81 in.

USDA rates 63% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

3.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 worse3.8%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

19 flood losses since 2016, $527,791 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 16.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
201816
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20242
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.81 in
12 months to August 202630.46 in (-15.35)
202537.86 in (-7.95)
Wettest year since 18952018: 64.06 in
Driest year since 18952001: 31.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAURINBURG (6 mi away)13

Homes

Housing units14,441
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied62%
Median value, owner-occupied$114,900
Single-family detached57%

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
Hoke County, NC 18 mi 0% 45%
Richmond County, NC 19 mi 5% 23%
Marlboro County, SC 20 mi 0% 83%
Robeson County, NC 25 mi under 1% 85%
Dillon County, SC 32 mi 0% 88%
Moore County, NC 32 mi 1% 28%
Anson County, NC 37 mi 15% 37%
Cumberland County, NC 40 mi under 1% 58%

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