Martinsville city, Virginia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Martinsville city's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 79.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 82% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Martinsville city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 61.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 11.8% |
| Mapped soil | 7,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Woolwine | 29% | n/a |
| Clifford | 25% | 0% |
| Minnieville | 17% | n/a |
| Orenda | 4% | n/a |
| Spriggs | 2% | n/a |
| Colvard | 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA089 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 34.16 in, 12.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.80 in.
USDA rates 62% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Martinsville city; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
79.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 46 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 | 79.2% |
| 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 Martinsville city since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.80 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.16 in (-12.64) |
| 2025 | 41.28 in (-5.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 71.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 28.70 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARTINSVILLE FLTR PLT (1 mi away) | 13.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,035 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4% |
| Owner-occupied | 55% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $98,400 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County, VA | 8 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Franklin County, VA | 21 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Rockingham County, NC | 21 mi | 2% | 9% |
| Patrick County, VA | 23 mi | under 1% | 6% |
| Danville city, VA | 26 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Pittsylvania County, VA | 27 mi | 5% | 9% |
| Stokes County, NC | 30 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Floyd 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