Design A Basement

Why do houses in North Carolina have no basements?

I am looking to move south and dont understand why barely any houses have basements in the Carolinas? In the North Atlantic almost all houses have basements.

Public Comments

1. Because most basements end up leaking. Also radon gas is more prevalent in homes with basements
2. because the basement would fill with water. that is only in eastern NC, in the mountains of the western part of NC the houses have basements.
3. does it flood there or get a lot of rain at times?
4. I am shocked that people are all giving incorrect answers to this question. The largest reason is that up north the frost depth is a lot greater so foundations need to be deeper. After your foundation is deep enough it is just a little more work to add a basement so they do so. Down south it is a lot more work to add one because the deep foundation is not needed so, since the space isn't as valuable to buyers, they do not. Lots of mountain houses have basements because they are on a slope and have to dig into the mountain anyway. It is also colder up on a mountain (ever see snow on top of one) so the foundations need to be deeper. It also costs more to level land so the house is better off with a smaller footprint and a basement is a good way to make a house with a small footprint have more floorspace even if it isn't as valuable.
5. Probably the same reason Florida home have no basements. They are too close to sea level and drilling down to dig basemtns they hit water.