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Botetourt County, Virginia

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 10% of Botetourt County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 12%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 83% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part.

36.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 76.7% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 22 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

12%

high water table: limits basements

36%

in drought, October 13, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Botetourt County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.1%
High water table (limits basements)12.1%
Septic fields very limited80.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.8%
Mapped soil286,120 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Frederick17%23%
Weikert9%0%
Berks8%0%
Dekalb7%n/a
Groseclose7%n/a
Laidig5%n/a
Covington city: 1%Alleghany County: 1%Roanoke city: 1%Bedford County: 1%Salem city: 0%Lexington city: 6%Rockbridge County: 10%Buena Vista city: 2%Botetourt County Covington cityAlleghanyRoanoke cityBedfordSalem cityLexington cityRockbridgeBuena Vista cityBotetourt
Botetourt 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 VA023 (2025-09-25), VA850 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 30.70 in, 13.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.17 in.

USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 12% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Botetourt County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

36.3% 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 33 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse36.3%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

22 flood losses since 2016, $253,083 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 6.

YearFlood losses
20163
20172
20183
20191
20206
20210
20220
20230
20241
20256
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.17 in
12 months to August 202630.70 in (-13.47)
202540.45 in (-3.72)
Wettest year since 18952018: 63.47 in
Driest year since 18951930: 21.25 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROANOKE RGNL AP (20 mi away)10.9

Homes

Housing units15,069
Median year built1984
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied86%
Median value, owner-occupied$289,200
Single-family detached84%

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
Covington city, VA 18 mi 1% 23%
Alleghany County, VA 19 mi 1% 7%
Roanoke city, VA 22 mi 1% 1%
Bedford County, VA 23 mi 1% 5%
Salem city, VA 24 mi under 1% 3%
Lexington city, VA 24 mi 6% under 1%
Rockbridge County, VA 26 mi 10% 6%
Buena Vista city, VA 27 mi 2% 1%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 25, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status