Frederick County, Virginia
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of Frederick County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US 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 16 flood losses here since 2016. 25% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1996.
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 Frederick County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.0% |
| Mapped soil | 266,000 acres |
How we count · survey areas VA069 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.6% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 15% of Frederick 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: 30.95 in, 9.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.66 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 71.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
16 flood losses since 2016, $185,107 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.66 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.95 in (-9.71) |
| 2025 | 35.60 in (-5.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 65.23 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 17.93 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINCHESTER (6 mi away) | 9.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 37,288 |
| Median year built | 1996 |
| Built before 1980 | 25% |
| Built 2000 or later | 43% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $386,000 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 | 5 mi | 22% | 5% |
| Clarke County, VA | 16 mi | 31% | 15% |
| Hampshire County, WV | 20 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Warren County, VA | 20 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Berkeley County, WV | 21 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Jefferson County, WV | 23 mi | 37% | 14% |
| Morgan County, WV | 25 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Shenandoah County, VA | 29 mi | 37% | 14% |
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