Lancaster County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 18% of Lancaster County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Lancaster County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 95,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sassafras | 19% | n/a |
| Kempsville | 4% | n/a |
| Woodstown | 4% | n/a |
| Suffolk | 4% | n/a |
| Mattapex | 2% | n/a |
| Dragston | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA133 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 18% of Lancaster 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: 40.25 in, 6.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.23 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 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 88.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
14 flood losses since 2016, $74,178 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.23 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.25 in (-6.98) |
| 2025 | 48.85 in (+1.62) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 64.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.06 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W PT 2 NW (23 mi away) | 11.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,496 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $327,000 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, VA | 9 mi | 1% | 40% |
| Northumberland County, VA | 11 mi | 1% | 23% |
| Mathews County, VA | 21 mi | 6% | 50% |
| Gloucester County, VA | 22 mi | 11% | 61% |
| Richmond County, VA | 24 mi | 6% | 42% |
| King and Queen County, VA | 27 mi | 2% | 77% |
| Essex County, VA | 32 mi | 1% | 45% |
| James City County, VA | 33 mi | 8% | 58% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status