HomeVirginiaAlbemarle County

Albemarle County, Virginia

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Albemarle County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 4.5% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

8%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

31%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Albemarle County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.4%
High water table (limits basements)7.7%
Septic fields very limited68.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.4%
Mapped soil474,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Hayesville11%0%
Bugley7%n/a
Myersville7%n/a
Chester7%n/a
Rabun6%n/a
Ashe5%n/a
Charlottesville city: 0%Waynesboro city: 0%Greene County: 1%Fluvanna County: 2%Nelson County: 1%Staunton city: 8%Madison County: 0%Buckingham County: 4%Albemarle County Charlottesville cityWaynesboro cityGreeneFluvannaNelsonStaunton cityMadisonBuckinghamAlbemarle
Albemarle County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas VA003 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.02 in, 12.94 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.96 in.

USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Albemarle County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 51 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 43 weeks, most recently on the August 11, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse77.4%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

16 flood losses since 2016, $227,995 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 10.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201810
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20244
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.96 in
12 months to August 202632.02 in (-12.94)
202538.40 in (-6.56)
Wettest year since 18952018: 70.00 in
Driest year since 18951930: 22.00 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHARLOTTESVILLE 2W (2 mi away)13.4

Homes

Housing units49,159
Median year built1992
Built before 198031%
Built 2000 or later35%
Owner-occupied66%
Median value, owner-occupied$495,400
Single-family detached60%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Charlottesville city, VA 4 mi 0% 5%
Waynesboro city, VA 19 mi 0% 9%
Greene County, VA 19 mi 1% 11%
Fluvanna County, VA 20 mi 2% 17%
Nelson County, VA 24 mi 1% 8%
Staunton city, VA 29 mi 8% 4%
Madison County, VA 31 mi under 1% 14%
Buckingham County, VA 31 mi 4% 19%

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