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Wilson County, North Carolina
A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Wilson County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 165 flood losses here since 2016, 8% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Wilson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 61.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 240,333 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 20% | 63% |
| Rains | 12% | n/a |
| Goldsboro | 10% | n/a |
| Bibb | 7% | n/a |
| Wagram | 7% | n/a |
| Grantham | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NC195 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 86% of Wilson 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: 31.57 in, 17.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.99 in.
USDA rates 62% 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.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 68.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
165 flood losses since 2016, $6.4 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 94. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 8% basements, 45% slabs, 32% crawl spaces, 16% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 94 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 27 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.57 in (-17.42) |
| 2025 | 41.23 in (-7.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 69.34 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 32.60 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILSON 3 SW (1 mi away) | 13.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 37,053 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $186,000 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nash County, NC | 19 mi | 1% | 64% |
| Greene County, NC | 20 mi | 0% | 83% |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 23 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Wayne County, NC | 24 mi | 1% | 70% |
| Johnston County, NC | 28 mi | 1% | 74% |
| Pitt County, NC | 32 mi | 4% | 88% |
| Franklin County, NC | 34 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Lenoir County, NC | 36 mi | 2% | 88% |
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