Hopewell city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 79% of Hopewell city's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 8th highest of 133 Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Hopewell city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 10.6% |
| Mapped soil | 12,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Emporia | 28% | n/a |
| Kinston | 25% | n/a |
| Slagle | 10% | n/a |
| Ackwater | 7% | n/a |
| Wickham | 5% | n/a |
| Peawick | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA149 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 79% of Hopewell city'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: 42.50 in, 5.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.85 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 16 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
6 flood losses since 2016, $44,862 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.50 in (-5.35) |
| 2025 | 53.69 in (+5.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 70.87 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.71 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOPEWELL (1 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,448 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $181,600 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 6 mi | 3% | 44% |
| Petersburg city, VA | 8 mi | 2% | 57% |
| Prince George County, VA | 8 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Henrico County, VA | 10 mi | 7% | 54% |
| Charles City County, VA | 14 mi | 18% | 71% |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 17 mi | 11% | 42% |
| Richmond city, VA | 19 mi | 0% | 21% |
| New Kent County, VA | 22 mi | 3% | 66% |
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