Harrisonburg city, Virginia
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 58% of Harrisonburg city's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties and the highest of 133 Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 38% 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 Harrisonburg city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 58.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 61.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 41.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 8.5% |
| Mapped soil | 11,132 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Endcav | 19% | n/a |
| Frederick | 17% | 23% |
| Chilhowie | 13% | n/a |
| Lodi | 12% | n/a |
| Carbo | 7% | n/a |
| Edom | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 41% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 58% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 30.63 in, 10.72 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.35 in.
USDA rates 61% 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 51 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 51 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $445,059 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.35 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.63 in (-10.72) |
| 2025 | 34.11 in (-7.24) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 63.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 17.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DALE ENTERPRISE (4 mi away) | 8.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,667 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 40% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $299,100 |
| Single-family detached | 37% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County, VA | 5 mi | 20% | 14% |
| Staunton city, VA | 22 mi | 8% | 4% |
| Augusta County, VA | 23 mi | 3% | 11% |
| Greene County, VA | 24 mi | 1% | 11% |
| Page County, VA | 24 mi | 3% | 16% |
| Waynesboro city, VA | 26 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Pendleton County, WV | 30 mi | 6% | 10% |
| Madison County, VA | 32 mi | under 1% | 14% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status