Lexington city, Virginia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 6% of Lexington city's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Lexington city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 24.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,606 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Needmore | 35% | n/a |
| Groseclose | 31% | n/a |
| Carbo | 3% | n/a |
| Opequon | 2% | n/a |
| Gladehill | 1% | n/a |
| Slabtown | under 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
USDA rates 73% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lexington city; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Lexington city since 2016.
Homes
| Housing units | 2,808 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 3% |
| Owner-occupied | 54% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $275,200 |
| Single-family detached | 57% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge County, VA | 2 mi | 10% | 6% |
| Buena Vista city, VA | 6 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Amherst County, VA | 19 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Botetourt County, VA | 24 mi | 10% | 12% |
| Bath County, VA | 25 mi | under 1% | 9% |
| Covington city, VA | 30 mi | 1% | 23% |
| Lynchburg city, VA | 30 mi | 4% | 12% |
| Nelson County, VA | 31 mi | 1% | 8% |
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