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Isle of Wight County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 73% of Isle of Wight County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
33.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 21 flood losses here since 2016. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.
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 Isle of Wight County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 73.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.2% |
| Mapped soil | 231,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Slagle | 23% | n/a |
| Myatt | 14% | n/a |
| Nawney | 8% | n/a |
| Uchee | 7% | n/a |
| Kinston | 7% | n/a |
| Yemassee | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA093 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 73% of Isle of Wight 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: 37.24 in, 12.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.37 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
33.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 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 | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 33.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
21 flood losses since 2016, $499,434 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.37 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.24 in (-12.13) |
| 2025 | 51.73 in (+2.36) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 67.71 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 28.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUFFOLK LAKE KILBY (13 mi away) | 13.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,125 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $356,500 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk city, VA | 15 mi | 6% | 79% |
| Newport News city, VA | 16 mi | 8% | 32% |
| Surry County, VA | 18 mi | 2% | 75% |
| Portsmouth city, VA | 19 mi | under 1% | 22% |
| Franklin city, VA | 20 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Hampton city, VA | 25 mi | 11% | 49% |
| Southampton County, VA | 25 mi | 0% | 91% |
| Williamsburg city, VA | 25 mi | 1% | 77% |
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