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Stanly County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 18% of Stanly County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses here since 2016, 17% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

18%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Stanly County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.2%
High water table (limits basements)17.7%
Septic fields very limited75.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)4.2%
Urban land, not rated1.2%
Mapped soil259,188 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Badin29%n/a
Goldston22%n/a
Tarrus15%n/a
Kirksey6%n/a
Misenheimer6%n/a
Georgeville5%0%
Cabarrus County: 22%Montgomery County: 19%Anson County: 37%Union County: 28%Rowan County: 15%Mecklenburg County: 16%Davidson County: 15%Richmond County: 23%Stanly County CabarrusMontgomeryAnsonUnionRowanMecklenburgDavidsonRichmondStanly
Stanly 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 NC167 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 18% of Stanly 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: 31.14 in, 14.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.89 in.

USDA rates 76% 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 41 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

28 flood losses since 2016, $2.6 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 12. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 17% basements, 75% slabs, 8% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201811
20190
202012
20210
20220
20230
20240
20255
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.89 in
12 months to August 202631.14 in (-14.75)
202541.31 in (-4.58)
Wettest year since 18952003: 65.18 in
Driest year since 18951933: 31.37 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALBEMARLE (7 mi away)14.7

Homes

Housing units28,632
Median year built1976
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$242,400
Single-family detached80%

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
Cabarrus County, NC 18 mi 22% 22%
Montgomery County, NC 19 mi 4% 19%
Anson County, NC 25 mi 15% 37%
Union County, NC 27 mi 3% 28%
Rowan County, NC 28 mi 17% 15%
Mecklenburg County, NC 33 mi 16% 16%
Davidson County, NC 34 mi 16% 15%
Richmond County, NC 35 mi 5% 23%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status