Franklin County, Virginia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Franklin County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 36.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 82.4% a week earlier.
FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 62.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 455,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Clifford | 55% | 0% |
| Hickoryknob | 4% | n/a |
| Minnieville | 4% | n/a |
| Wintergreen | 3% | n/a |
| Woolwine | 2% | n/a |
| Hayesville | 2% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas VA067 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 33.36 in, 12.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.33 in.
USDA rates 62% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Franklin County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
36.5% 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 37 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 97.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 36.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $34,771 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.33 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.36 in (-12.97) |
| 2025 | 41.12 in (-5.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 72.42 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.67 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROCKY MT (1 mi away) | 12.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 28,408 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $240,400 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke city, VA | 20 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Martinsville city, VA | 21 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Salem city, VA | 23 mi | under 1% | 3% |
| Henry County, VA | 26 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Floyd County, VA | 26 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Roanoke County, VA | 29 mi | 4% | 2% |
| Pittsylvania County, VA | 29 mi | 5% | 9% |
| Bedford County, VA | 30 mi | 1% | 5% |
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