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Wake County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Wake County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.

100% of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 357 flood losses here since 2016, 12% of them in buildings with basements. 18% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2000.

Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

32%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, September 22, 2026

18%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Wake County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.4%
High water table (limits basements)31.7%
Septic fields very limited52.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.3%
Urban land, not rated15.1%
Mapped soil548,487 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Pacolet9%0%
Cecil8%0%
Wedowee8%n/a
Rawlings6%n/a
Creedmoor6%n/a
Rion4%n/a
Durham County: 56%Johnston County: 74%Franklin County: 21%Harnett County: 62%Orange County: 20%Chatham County: 44%Granville County: 35%Lee County: 38%Wake County DurhamJohnstonFranklinHarnettOrangeChathamGranvilleLeeWake
Wake 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 NC183 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 32% of Wake 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: 32.69 in, 15.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.96 in.

USDA rates 53% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 51 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 45 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.

September 30, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklySeptember 22, 2026
Category, September 22, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse92.6%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

357 flood losses since 2016, $9.4 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 182. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 12% basements, 34% slabs, 32% crawl spaces, 22% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.

YearFlood losses
2016182
201743
201839
201915
202024
202117
20228
20234
202414
20257
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.96 in
12 months to August 202632.69 in (-15.27)
202544.87 in (-3.09)
Wettest year since 18952020: 63.29 in
Driest year since 18951933: 31.36 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RALEIGH STATE UNIV (3 mi away)14.8

Homes

Housing units496,047
Median year built2000
Built before 198018%
Built 2000 or later50%
Owner-occupied64%
Median value, owner-occupied$461,300
Single-family detached58%

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
Durham County, NC 21 mi 43% 56%
Johnston County, NC 25 mi 1% 74%
Franklin County, NC 29 mi 8% 21%
Harnett County, NC 32 mi under 1% 62%
Orange County, NC 32 mi 16% 20%
Chatham County, NC 34 mi 14% 44%
Granville County, NC 35 mi 26% 35%
Lee County, NC 36 mi 5% 38%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status