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Chesterfield County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Chesterfield County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 67 flood losses here since 2016, 27% of them in buildings with basements. 29% 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 Chesterfield County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 11.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.3% |
| Mapped soil | 281,054 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Appling | 14% | 0% |
| Creedmoor | 9% | n/a |
| Bourne | 7% | n/a |
| Mayodan | 6% | n/a |
| Colfax | 4% | n/a |
| Grover | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA041 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Chesterfield 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: 40.55 in, 6.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.60 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
67 flood losses since 2016, $995,032 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 25. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 27% basements, 20% slabs, 18% crawl spaces, 36% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 25 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.60 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.55 in (-6.05) |
| 2025 | 49.37 in (+2.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 67.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.08 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINTERPOCK (5 mi away) | 11.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 145,709 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $366,000 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond city, VA | 12 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 13 mi | 3% | 44% |
| Petersburg city, VA | 16 mi | 2% | 57% |
| Henrico County, VA | 16 mi | 7% | 54% |
| Hopewell city, VA | 17 mi | 4% | 79% |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | 21 mi | 4% | 40% |
| Powhatan County, VA | 21 mi | 12% | 23% |
| Amelia County, VA | 22 mi | 11% | 21% |
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