Buying land in Chowan County, North Carolina: what to check
Chowan County covers 173 square miles of land and 61 of water in North Carolina, with about 13,891 residents in 2024 (up 1.3% since 2020). The 2020 Census counted 98% of its land as rural and 32% of residents as living in urban areas. Farms operate 67% of the county's land. Below: how much of Chowan County floods, what its soils allow, what farmland is worth and how often it's in drought, from free public data with every source linked.
Chowan County at a glance
Hydric (wetland-type) soils
54%
Above the state's county median (3.2%)
Farm land value, 2022
$3,973/acre
Below the state's county median ($5,848)
What to check before buying land in Chowan County
Ordered by what Chowan County's numbers point to. Every parcel differs, so treat this as where to look first.
1.Expect wetlands; map them before you plan
About 54% of Chowan County's mapped soils are hydric (formed under saturated conditions, a federal wetland indicator) and 58% are poorly or very poorly drained (USDA SSURGO).
Open the National Wetlands Inventory mapper at the parcel. Filling or draining a wetland can need a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, and wet ground limits septic fields and building pads.
2.Budget for a perc test and maybe an engineered septic
USDA rates 100% of Chowan County's mapped soils "very limited" for conventional septic absorption fields and 0% "not limited".
Without city sewer you need a septic permit from the county or state health department. Make the offer contingent on a passing soil or perc test; mound and aerobic systems can cost several times a conventional one.
3.Confirm legal road access and power
The 2020 Census classified 98% of Chowan County's land area as rural.
Rural tracts are often sold without recorded access or a power line nearby. Get the title company to confirm a recorded easement or public road frontage, and ask the electric co-op what a line extension costs.
4.Confirm the flood zone at your exact spot
5% of the county's area is in the 1%-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain FEMA's National Risk Index uses for inland flooding; under 1% is exposed to coastal flooding; 11% of its mapped soils flood occasionally or frequently.
Even where little of the county floods, creeks and low spots do. Check the FEMA zone at the building site and the driveway route.
5.Check the soils if you plan to farm, graze or garden
Farm real estate in Chowan County averaged $3,973 an acre including buildings in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, and 48% of its mapped soils are prime or of statewide importance.
Compare the asking price with recent sales of similar tracts, not the county average, which mixes cropland, pasture, timber and homesites. If an ag tax valuation applies, ask what the rollback taxes would be if you change the use.
6.Find out where the water comes from
At least half of Chowan County was in severe drought (D2) or worse in 4.6% of the 262 weekly U.S. Drought Monitor maps from 2021 to 2026.
Ask whether the land has a public water connection, an existing well (and its log and yield), or neighbors' well depths from the state well database. For a new well, check permits and typical depth with the state agency first.
Flood zones, wetlands and water in Chowan County
- Area in the 1%-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain
- 5%, 26th lowest of 100 in North Carolina FEMA National Risk Index
- Area exposed to coastal flooding
- under 1% FEMA National Risk Index
- Mapped soils that flood occasionally or frequently
- 11% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Hydric soils (a federal wetland indicator)
- 54% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Poorly or very poorly drained soils
- 58% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Surface water (lakes, rivers, reservoirs)
- 61 sq mi Census 2024 Gazetteer Files
- Drought on 2026-10-27
- 100% moderate or worse, 0% severe or worse U.S. Drought Monitor county statistics
The floodplain share is the area FEMA's National Risk Index counts as exposed to inland flooding, mostly mapped 100-year flood zones. It says how common flood-prone land is in Chowan County, not whether a given parcel floods. For that, look up the zone at your exact point on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or run the free check.
Soils and terrain
- Prime farmland
- 14% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Prime only if drained, irrigated or protected
- 33% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Farmland of statewide importance
- 33% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Average slope over 15%
- 0% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Very limited for septic absorption fields
- 100% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Not limited for septic absorption fields
- 0% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
Shares of Chowan County's soil-surveyed land (about 109,910 acres, open water excluded), using each map unit's dominant condition in USDA's SSURGO soil survey. Soils change within a few hundred feet, so the soil at your building site is what matters.
Farms and land use
- Farms (2022)
- 134 USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Share of the county's land in farms
- 67% USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Average farm size
- 548 acres (median 321) USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Average value of land and buildings
- $3,973 per acre, 14th lowest of 100 in North Carolina USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Cropland
- 64,881 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Pasture and rangeland
- 980 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Woodland on farms
- 5,651 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Irrigated land
- 6,263 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
Natural hazard ratings
FEMA's National Risk Index rates each hazard for Chowan County relative to every other U.S. county. Overall risk: Very Low.
- HurricaneRelatively Moderate
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate
- Coastal floodingRelatively Low
- DroughtRelatively Low
- Heat waveRelatively Low
- LightningRelatively Low
- Strong windRelatively Low
- TornadoRelatively Low
- EarthquakeVery Low
- HailVery Low
- River and inland floodingVery Low
- LandslideVery Low
- WildfireVery Low
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Questions about buying land in Chowan County
How much of Chowan County, NC is in a flood zone?
About 5% of Chowan County's area is in the 1%-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain used by FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025), 26th lowest of 100 counties in North Carolina. Another under 1% is exposed to coastal flooding. Whether a given parcel is in a flood zone depends on its exact location, so check the FEMA map at your pin.
How much does land cost per acre in Chowan County?
The 2022 Census of Agriculture put the average value of farm land and buildings in Chowan County at $3,973 an acre, 14th lowest of 100 counties in North Carolina (the median North Carolina county was $5,848). It's a self-reported average across farms, so small homesites and recreational tracts often sell for more per acre.
Will a septic system work on land in Chowan County?
Often, but test first. USDA soil surveys rate 100% of Chowan County's mapped soils very limited for conventional septic absorption fields, usually because of wetness, slow permeability, shallow rock or flooding. A perc or soil test on the parcel decides what system the health department will permit.
Is there good farmland in Chowan County?
14% of Chowan County's mapped soils are prime farmland, 33% are prime only if drained, irrigated or protected from flooding, and 33% are farmland of statewide importance (USDA SSURGO). The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 134 farms averaging 548 acres.
How often is Chowan County in drought?
Since 2021, at least half of the county was in severe drought or worse in 4.6% of weekly U.S. Drought Monitor maps, and in extreme drought in 0%. On 2026-10-27, 100% of the county was in moderate drought or worse.
Can I check a specific property in Chowan County?
Yes. Enter the address or drop a pin anywhere in Chowan County on the free check. It shows which checks return data at that exact point, and the full report costs $29: flood zone, slope, soils, wetlands, roads, power lines, wildfire and more, each with its source. It is a screen of public maps, not a survey, title search or perc test.
Check the parcel, not just the county
County numbers tell you what to look for. The free check looks at your exact point in Chowan County: flood zone, slope, soils, wetlands, roads, power and more. The full report is $29.
What these numbers can't tell you
- County shares describe Chowan County as a whole; a parcel can be entirely in or out of a flood zone, wetland or poor soil.
- It doesn't look at the whole parcel, its boundaries, title, easements, zoning or permits.
- It isn't a survey, appraisal, elevation certificate, soil or perc test, or Phase I environmental site assessment.
- It can't see local distribution power lines, driveways, legal access, wells or mineral rights.
- Maps lag behind the ground, and distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
Sources and vintages
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files: 2024 files
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county population estimates: Vintage 2024 (July 1, 2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census urban and rural classification: 2020 Census
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 county adjacency file: 2024
- FEMA National Risk Index: December 2025 release
- USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO): Soil Data Access, queried 2026-10-31
- USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture: 2022 Census of Agriculture (published 2024)
- U.S. Drought Monitor county statistics: weekly maps 2021-10-26 to 2026-10-27
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center: look up your own pin
- USFWS National Wetlands Inventory mapper: look up your own pin
Summarized per county by our build script on 2026-10-31. County figures cover the whole county; checks on the report are at your point.