Dinwiddie County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of Dinwiddie County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
0.9% 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. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Dinwiddie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 50.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 344,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Appling | 25% | 0% |
| Mattaponi | 14% | n/a |
| Cecil | 12% | 0% |
| Georgeville | 9% | 0% |
| Roanoke | 8% | n/a |
| Herndon | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA653 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 40% of Dinwiddie 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: 38.22 in, 8.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.61 in.
USDA rates 50% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 23 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 | 50.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $6,122 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.22 in (-8.39) |
| 2025 | 49.55 in (+2.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 65.72 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT PICKETT (17 mi away) | 13.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,982 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $257,800 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg city, VA | 16 mi | 2% | 57% |
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 19 mi | 3% | 44% |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 21 mi | 11% | 42% |
| Sussex County, VA | 23 mi | 1% | 96% |
| Nottoway County, VA | 24 mi | 6% | 20% |
| Hopewell city, VA | 24 mi | 4% | 79% |
| Prince George County, VA | 24 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Brunswick County, VA | 25 mi | 10% | 32% |
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