Lynchburg city, Virginia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Lynchburg city's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 12%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Lynchburg city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.8% |
| Mapped soil | 354,560 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Cecil | 16% | 0% |
| Cullen | 12% | n/a |
| Tatum | 10% | n/a |
| Appling | 7% | 0% |
| Manteo | 6% | n/a |
| Georgeville | 5% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas VA631 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 28.94 in, 16.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.30 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 12% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lynchburg city; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 49 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 4.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
17 flood losses since 2016, $447,086 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.30 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.94 in (-16.36) |
| 2025 | 39.44 in (-5.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 70.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LYNCHBURG RGNL AP (5 mi away) | 10.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 34,208 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 49% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $229,800 |
| Single-family detached | 55% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County, VA | 14 mi | 4% | 12% |
| Amherst County, VA | 16 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Bedford County, VA | 19 mi | 1% | 5% |
| Appomattox County, VA | 21 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Buena Vista city, VA | 24 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Lexington city, VA | 30 mi | 6% | under 1% |
| Rockbridge County, VA | 32 mi | 10% | 6% |
| Nelson County, VA | 32 mi | 1% | 8% |
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