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Greensville County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Greensville County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 6th highest of 133 Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
97.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Greensville County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.3% |
| Mapped soil | 193,280 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | 21% | n/a |
| Woodington | 12% | n/a |
| Mattaponi | 10% | n/a |
| Slagle | 8% | n/a |
| Craven | 8% | n/a |
| Fluvanna | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA081 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 80% of Greensville 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: 30.99 in, 16.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.89 in.
USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
97.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 97.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 67.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 3.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $12,665 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.89 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.99 in (-16.90) |
| 2025 | 48.99 in (+1.10) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 64.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 28.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EMPORIA 1 WNW (1 mi away) | 12.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,026 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,400 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia city, VA | 2 mi | 3% | 70% |
| Brunswick County, VA | 18 mi | 10% | 32% |
| Northampton County, NC | 20 mi | under 1% | 86% |
| Sussex County, VA | 24 mi | 1% | 96% |
| Southampton County, VA | 25 mi | 0% | 91% |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | 27 mi | 4% | 40% |
| Halifax County, NC | 30 mi | 1% | 73% |
| Franklin city, VA | 34 mi | 0% | 88% |
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