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Tyrrell County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Tyrrell County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 234 flood losses here since 2016, 2% of them in buildings with basements. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Tyrrell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 64.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 64.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 383,143 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pungo | 20% | n/a |
| Belhaven | 7% | n/a |
| Dorovan | 6% | n/a |
| Hyde | 5% | n/a |
| Portsmouth | 4% | n/a |
| Roper | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC177 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 64% of Tyrrell 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: 42.17 in, 9.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.93 in.
USDA rates 64% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 3.2% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
234 flood losses since 2016, $4.2 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 161. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 2% basements, 9% slabs, 65% crawl spaces, 24% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 161 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 55 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.93 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.17 in (-9.76) |
| 2025 | 46.56 in (-5.37) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 68.70 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2001: 33.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EDENTON (24 mi away) | 14.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,229 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $164,500 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, NC | 23 mi | 3% | 80% |
| Perquimans County, NC | 25 mi | 0% | 72% |
| Pasquotank County, NC | 28 mi | 2% | 76% |
| Dare County, NC | 29 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Chowan County, NC | 30 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Hyde County, NC | 32 mi | 1% | 49% |
| Camden County, NC | 33 mi | under 1% | 74% |
| Currituck County, NC | 40 mi | under 1% | 52% |
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