Chesapeake city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Chesapeake city's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties and the 4th highest of 133 Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
98.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 294 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 32% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Chesapeake city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.0% |
| Mapped soil | 230,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tomotley | 19% | n/a |
| Pungo | 12% | n/a |
| Acredale | 12% | n/a |
| Belhaven | 10% | n/a |
| Deloss | 9% | n/a |
| Dorovan | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA550 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 88% of Chesapeake city'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: 39.79 in, 9.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.07 in.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
98.5% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 98.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
294 flood losses since 2016, $2.9 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 205. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 26% slabs, 52% crawl spaces, 18% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 205 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.07 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.79 in (-9.28) |
| 2025 | 45.49 in (-3.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1989: 63.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1986: 30.73 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALLACETON-LAKE DRUMMOND (10 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 96,816 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 32% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $378,400 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth city, VA | 13 mi | under 1% | 22% |
| Virginia Beach city, VA | 17 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Norfolk city, VA | 17 mi | 2% | 28% |
| Suffolk city, VA | 19 mi | 6% | 79% |
| Camden County, NC | 25 mi | under 1% | 74% |
| Hampton city, VA | 25 mi | 11% | 49% |
| Isle of Wight County, VA | 27 mi | 7% | 73% |
| Gates County, NC | 28 mi | under 1% | 93% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status