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Washington County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Washington County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 38 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

80%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

62%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Washington County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.7%
High water table (limits basements)79.8%
Septic fields very limited82.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.5%
Mapped soil264,486 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Belhaven10%n/a
Cape Fear10%n/a
Portsmouth9%n/a
Roanoke7%n/a
Dorovan6%n/a
Pungo6%n/a
Chowan County: 62%Tyrrell County: 64%Perquimans County: 72%Bertie County: 89%Beaufort County: 83%Martin County: 96%Pasquotank County: 76%Hyde County: 49%Washington County ChowanTyrrellPerquimansBertieBeaufortMartinPasquotankHydeWashington
Washington 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 NC187 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 80% of Washington 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: 40.68 in, 11.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.21 in.

USDA rates 83% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the July 14, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse12.2%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

38 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 29. Median water depth outside the building: 10.5 in.

YearFlood losses
201629
20170
20182
20192
20200
20210
20223
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202052.21 in
12 months to August 202640.68 in (-11.53)
202543.85 in (-8.36)
Wettest year since 18952016: 72.59 in
Driest year since 18952007: 33.68 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLYMOUTH 5 E (5 mi away)14.7

Homes

Housing units6,040
Median year built1975
Built before 198062%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied68%
Median value, owner-occupied$125,900
Single-family detached67%

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
Chowan County, NC 20 mi 0% 62%
Tyrrell County, NC 23 mi 0% 64%
Perquimans County, NC 25 mi 0% 72%
Bertie County, NC 26 mi 14% 89%
Beaufort County, NC 29 mi 7% 83%
Martin County, NC 31 mi under 1% 96%
Pasquotank County, NC 34 mi 2% 76%
Hyde County, NC 38 mi 1% 49%

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