Culpeper County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 27% of Culpeper County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Culpeper County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 23.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 26.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.9% |
| Mapped soil | 244,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Edgemont | 7% | n/a |
| Rhodhiss | 7% | n/a |
| Waxpool | 6% | n/a |
| Glenelg | 6% | 0% |
| Yellowbottom | 6% | n/a |
| Culpeper | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA047 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 24% of the mapped land.
On 27% of Culpeper 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: 30.87 in, 13.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.05 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 41 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 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
10 flood losses since 2016, $244,050 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.05 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.87 in (-13.18) |
| 2025 | 38.36 in (-5.69) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 72.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 20.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PIEDMONT RSCH STN (20 mi away) | 10.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,773 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $409,200 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County, VA | 17 mi | 16% | 16% |
| Rappahannock County, VA | 18 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Madison County, VA | 18 mi | under 1% | 14% |
| Fauquier County, VA | 19 mi | 6% | 28% |
| Spotsylvania County, VA | 27 mi | 1% | 36% |
| Stafford County, VA | 27 mi | 2% | 30% |
| Fredericksburg city, VA | 29 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Prince William County, VA | 30 mi | 9% | 35% |
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