Fauquier County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Fauquier County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 35% 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 Fauquier County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 28.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.5% |
| Mapped soil | 417,643 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tankerville | 8% | n/a |
| Fauquier | 7% | n/a |
| Purcellville | 7% | n/a |
| Middleburg | 5% | n/a |
| Myersville | 4% | n/a |
| Mongle | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA061 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 28% of Fauquier 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: 32.62 in, 10.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.27 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 49 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 | 16.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $42,901 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.62 in (-10.65) |
| 2025 | 36.13 in (-7.14) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 67.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 19.76 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FRONT ROYAL (22 mi away) | 11.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 28,621 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $573,700 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manassas city, VA | 18 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Prince William County, VA | 19 mi | 9% | 35% |
| Rappahannock County, VA | 19 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Culpeper County, VA | 19 mi | 24% | 27% |
| Manassas Park city, VA | 21 mi | 0% | 16% |
| Warren County, VA | 24 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Loudoun County, VA | 25 mi | 8% | 31% |
| Clarke County, VA | 27 mi | 31% | 15% |
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