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Surry County, North Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Surry County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 29% 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 8 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

4%

high water table: limits basements

29%

in drought, October 13, 2026

51%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Surry County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.1%
High water table (limits basements)4.0%
Septic fields very limited84.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.1%
Urban land, not rated1.1%
Mapped soil345,261 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Fairview45%0%
Woolwine16%n/a
Westfield5%n/a
Braddock4%n/a
Cowee4%n/a
Colvard3%n/a
Yadkin County: 1%Galax city: 1%Carroll County: 1%Stokes County: 1%Alleghany County: 0%Patrick County: 0%Wilkes County: 0%Forsyth County: 2%Surry County YadkinGalax cityCarrollStokesAlleghanyPatrickWilkesForsythSurry
Surry 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 NC171 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 34.76 in, 15.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.39 in.

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

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Surry County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

29% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 worse29%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

8 flood losses since 2016, $125,081 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 6.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20232
20240
20250
2026 to date6

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.39 in
12 months to August 202634.76 in (-15.63)
202544.08 in (-6.31)
Wettest year since 18952020: 74.35 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.31 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MT AIRY 2 W (6 mi away)13.6

Homes

Housing units33,747
Median year built1979
Built before 198051%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$177,600
Single-family detached66%

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
Yadkin County, NC 17 mi 1% 9%
Galax city, VA 21 mi 1% 9%
Carroll County, VA 22 mi 1% 5%
Stokes County, NC 23 mi 1% 7%
Alleghany County, NC 25 mi 0% 5%
Patrick County, VA 28 mi under 1% 6%
Wilkes County, NC 30 mi 0% 6%
Forsyth County, NC 31 mi 2% 11%

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