Accomack County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 57% of Accomack County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
13.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 85 flood losses here since 2016, 6% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Accomack County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 386,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Nimmo | 17% | n/a |
| Bojac | 16% | n/a |
| Chincoteague | 12% | n/a |
| Munden | 8% | n/a |
| Dragston | 4% | n/a |
| Melfa | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA001 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 57% of Accomack 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: 39.69 in, 6.00 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.69 in.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
13.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 13.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
85 flood losses since 2016, $976,232 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 31. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 6% basements, 13% slabs, 56% crawl spaces, 25% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 18 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 24 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 31 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.69 in (-6.00) |
| 2025 | 45.96 in (+0.27) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 58.95 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.16 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAINTER 2 W (13 mi away) | 11.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 22,052 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $204,300 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County, MD | 22 mi | under 1% | 40% |
| Northampton County, VA | 32 mi | 0% | 34% |
| Northumberland County, VA | 35 mi | 1% | 23% |
| Lancaster County, VA | 36 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Mathews County, VA | 36 mi | 6% | 50% |
| Worcester County, MD | 40 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 42 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Middlesex County, VA | 43 mi | 1% | 40% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status