Buckingham County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Buckingham County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 20.3% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
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 Buckingham County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.6% |
| Mapped soil | 373,719 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Spears mountain | 28% | n/a |
| Littlejoe | 14% | n/a |
| Oak Level | 8% | n/a |
| Penhook | 7% | n/a |
| Fairview | 6% | 0% |
| Siloam | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA029 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 19% of Buckingham 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: 32.30 in, 12.46 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.76 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 42 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 78.2% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Buckingham County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.76 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.30 in (-12.46) |
| 2025 | 41.90 in (-2.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 64.83 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.95 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BUCKINGHAM (5 mi away) | 11.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,284 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $173,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County, VA | 16 mi | 17% | 29% |
| Appomattox County, VA | 21 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Fluvanna County, VA | 22 mi | 2% | 17% |
| Nelson County, VA | 24 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Prince Edward County, VA | 25 mi | 7% | 18% |
| Albemarle County, VA | 31 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Charlottesville city, VA | 32 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Powhatan County, VA | 34 mi | 12% | 23% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status