Henrico County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Henrico County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 68 flood losses here since 2016, 22% of them in buildings with basements. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Henrico County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.6% |
| Mapped soil | 155,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kempsville | 8% | n/a |
| Colfax | 5% | n/a |
| Caroline | 5% | n/a |
| Duplin | 4% | n/a |
| Appling | 4% | 0% |
| Atlee | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA087 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Henrico 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: 40.78 in, 5.67 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.45 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
68 flood losses since 2016, $655,126 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 30. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 22% basements, 13% slabs, 34% crawl spaces, 31% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 30 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.45 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.78 in (-5.67) |
| 2025 | 48.93 in (+2.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 66.16 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.85 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RICHMOND INTL AP (5 mi away) | 11.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 144,916 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $359,200 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hopewell city, VA | 10 mi | 4% | 79% |
| Richmond city, VA | 12 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 13 mi | 3% | 44% |
| Charles City County, VA | 14 mi | 18% | 71% |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 16 mi | 11% | 42% |
| Petersburg city, VA | 17 mi | 2% | 57% |
| New Kent County, VA | 17 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Prince George County, VA | 18 mi | 8% | 86% |
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