Gloucester County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 61% of Gloucester County's mapped land, a higher share than 75% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.
0.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 36 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 36% 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 Gloucester County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 11.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 61.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.2% |
| Mapped soil | 162,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kempsville | 9% | n/a |
| Meggett | 7% | n/a |
| Emporia | 7% | n/a |
| Suffolk | 6% | n/a |
| Lumbee | 6% | n/a |
| Wrightsboro | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA073 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 61% of Gloucester 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: 40.96 in, 7.46 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.42 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the July 14, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 88.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
36 flood losses since 2016, $419,324 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 7. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% slabs, 56% crawl spaces, 41% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.42 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.96 in (-7.46) |
| 2025 | 50.27 in (+1.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 67.28 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILLIAMSBURG 2 N (12 mi away) | 13.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,309 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $331,000 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsburg city, VA | 14 mi | 1% | 77% |
| Middlesex County, VA | 14 mi | 1% | 40% |
| Mathews County, VA | 14 mi | 6% | 50% |
| York County, VA | 14 mi | 3% | 59% |
| James City County, VA | 15 mi | 8% | 58% |
| Lancaster County, VA | 22 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Poquoson city, VA | 23 mi | 5% | 54% |
| Newport News city, VA | 23 mi | 8% | 32% |
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