HomeVirginiaMathews County

Mathews County, Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Mathews County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.

78.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 25 flood losses here since 2016. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

50%

high water table: limits basements

78%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mathews County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)6.0%
High water table (limits basements)50.1%
Septic fields very limited51.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)6.0%
Mapped soil66,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Fallsington33%n/a
Dragston5%n/a
Kempsville5%n/a
Woodstown5%n/a
Elkton3%n/a
Sassafras1%n/a
Gloucester County: 61%York County: 59%Middlesex County: 40%Northampton County: 34%Lancaster County: 18%Poquoson city: 54%Hampton city: 49%Williamsburg city: 77%Mathews County GloucesterYorkMiddlesexNorthamptonLancasterPoquoson cityHampton cityWilliamsburg cityMathews
Mathews County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas VA115 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 50% of Mathews 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: 40.31 in, 7.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.13 in.

USDA rates 51% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

78.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse78.4%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

25 flood losses since 2016, $361,921 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 12.

YearFlood losses
20164
20170
20185
201912
20202
20210
20221
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.13 in
12 months to August 202640.31 in (-7.82)
202548.74 in (+0.61)
Wettest year since 18952003: 65.13 in
Driest year since 18951930: 24.46 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILLIAMSBURG 2 N (26 mi away)13.5

Homes

Housing units5,493
Median year built1976
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$360,900
Single-family detached91%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Gloucester County, VA 14 mi 11% 61%
York County, VA 16 mi 3% 59%
Middlesex County, VA 19 mi 1% 40%
Northampton County, VA 21 mi 0% 34%
Lancaster County, VA 21 mi 1% 18%
Poquoson city, VA 21 mi 5% 54%
Hampton city, VA 26 mi 11% 49%
Williamsburg city, VA 27 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