Charlotte County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Charlotte County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
92.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Charlotte County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 36.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.8% |
| Mapped soil | 301,132 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Cecil | 23% | 0% |
| Appling | 18% | 0% |
| Georgeville | 9% | 0% |
| Wilkes | 6% | n/a |
| Herndon | 5% | n/a |
| Wehadkee | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA037 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Charlotte 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: 30.45 in, 15.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.35 in.
Drought
92.3% 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 36 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 92.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 67.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 15.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.35 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.45 in (-15.90) |
| 2025 | 42.88 in (-3.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 66.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.81 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KEYSVILLE 2 S (10 mi away) | 12.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,973 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $144,100 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward County, VA | 19 mi | 7% | 18% |
| Halifax County, VA | 23 mi | 14% | 21% |
| Lunenburg County, VA | 23 mi | 8% | 16% |
| Appomattox County, VA | 26 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Mecklenburg County, VA | 27 mi | 10% | 18% |
| Campbell County, VA | 28 mi | 4% | 12% |
| Nottoway County, VA | 35 mi | 6% | 20% |
| Buckingham County, VA | 40 mi | 4% | 19% |
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