HomeNorth CarolinaWayne County

Wayne County, North Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 70% of Wayne County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 646 flood losses here since 2016, 6% of them in buildings with basements. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

70%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

44%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Wayne County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.7%
High water table (limits basements)69.9%
Septic fields very limited66.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.7%
Mapped soil355,661 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Norfolk13%63%
Wagram12%n/a
Rains7%n/a
Kenansville7%n/a
Lynchburg6%n/a
Goldsboro5%n/a
Greene County: 83%Lenoir County: 88%Johnston County: 74%Wilson County: 86%Duplin County: 92%Sampson County: 80%Pitt County: 88%Nash County: 64%Wayne County GreeneLenoirJohnstonWilsonDuplinSampsonPittNashWayne
Wayne 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 NC191 (2025-08-27)

What the numbers mean here

On 70% of Wayne 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: 32.10 in, 18.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.71 in.

USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 48 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse94.5%
D3 extreme or worse2.2%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

646 flood losses since 2016, $35.1 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 456. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 6% basements, 42% slabs, 39% crawl spaces, 13% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.

YearFlood losses
2016456
20175
2018161
20190
20209
20213
20222
20234
20244
20250
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.71 in
12 months to August 202632.10 in (-18.61)
202544.76 in (-5.95)
Wettest year since 18952020: 66.43 in
Driest year since 18952007: 34.40 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SMITHFIELD (22 mi away)13.8

Homes

Housing units53,505
Median year built1984
Built before 198044%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied62%
Median value, owner-occupied$178,700
Single-family detached60%

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
Greene County, NC 20 mi 0% 83%
Lenoir County, NC 22 mi 2% 88%
Johnston County, NC 23 mi 1% 74%
Wilson County, NC 24 mi under 1% 86%
Duplin County, NC 29 mi 0% 92%
Sampson County, NC 32 mi 0% 80%
Pitt County, NC 39 mi 4% 88%
Nash County, NC 42 mi 1% 64%

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