Clarke County, Virginia
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of Clarke County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties and the 4th highest of 133 Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Clarke County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.0% |
| Mapped soil | 114,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Poplimento | 17% | n/a |
| Timberville | 9% | n/a |
| Webbtown | 5% | n/a |
| Swimley | 4% | n/a |
| Opequon | 4% | n/a |
| Dekalb | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA043 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
On 15% of Clarke 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: 30.83 in, 10.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.45 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 49 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 40 weeks, most recently on the August 11, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.45 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.83 in (-10.62) |
| 2025 | 35.43 in (-6.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 64.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 19.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MT WX (7 mi away) | 12.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,553 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $550,100 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester city, VA | 11 mi | 22% | 5% |
| Jefferson County, WV | 15 mi | 37% | 14% |
| Frederick County, VA | 16 mi | 16% | 15% |
| Warren County, VA | 18 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Loudoun County, VA | 19 mi | 8% | 31% |
| Berkeley County, WV | 23 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Fauquier County, VA | 27 mi | 6% | 28% |
| Rappahannock County, VA | 31 mi | 0% | 10% |
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