HomeNorth CarolinaStokes County

Stokes County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Stokes County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 96.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

97%

in drought, October 13, 2026

46%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Stokes County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.5%
High water table (limits basements)6.9%
Septic fields very limited85.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.5%
Mapped soil291,795 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Fairview30%0%
Poplar Forest19%n/a
Rhodhiss9%n/a
Clover6%n/a
Stott Knob5%n/a
Sauratown4%n/a
Forsyth County: 2%Patrick County: 0%Henry County: 0%Surry County: 0%Rockingham County: 2%Yadkin County: 1%Martinsville city: 0%Carroll County: 1%Stokes County ForsythPatrickHenrySurryRockinghamYadkinMartinsville cityCarrollStokes
Stokes 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 NC169 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.42 in, 14.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.33 in.

USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Stokes County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

96.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 43 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 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 worse96.7%
D2 severe or worse34.4%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

5 flood losses since 2016, $76,229 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20190
20202
20210
20220
20230
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.33 in
12 months to August 202632.42 in (-14.91)
202541.67 in (-5.66)
Wettest year since 18952020: 68.77 in
Driest year since 18951930: 30.14 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DANBURY (6 mi away)13.6

Homes

Housing units21,497
Median year built1983
Built before 198046%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied79%
Median value, owner-occupied$196,700
Single-family detached70%

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
Forsyth County, NC 18 mi 2% 11%
Patrick County, VA 19 mi under 1% 6%
Henry County, VA 22 mi under 1% 1%
Surry County, NC 23 mi under 1% 4%
Rockingham County, NC 27 mi 2% 9%
Yadkin County, NC 27 mi 1% 9%
Martinsville city, VA 30 mi under 1% under 1%
Carroll County, VA 35 mi 1% 5%

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