Newport News city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Newport News city's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
1.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 107 flood losses here since 2016, 18% of them in buildings with basements. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Newport News city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 31.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.5% |
| Urban land, not rated | 9.5% |
| Mapped soil | 76,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tomotley | 6% | n/a |
| Craven | 5% | n/a |
| Chickahominy | 5% | n/a |
| Slagle | 4% | n/a |
| Bethera | 2% | n/a |
| Altavista | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA715 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 32% of Newport News city'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: 38.24 in, 10.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.48 in.
Drought
1.1% 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 18 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 1.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
107 flood losses since 2016, $4.1 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 60. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 18% basements, 43% slabs, 30% crawl spaces, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 60 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 16 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.48 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.24 in (-10.24) |
| 2025 | 49.05 in (+0.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 65.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NORFOLK NAS (16 mi away) | 10.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 82,052 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 48% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $260,600 |
| Single-family detached | 50% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| York County, VA | 12 mi | 3% | 59% |
| Hampton city, VA | 12 mi | 11% | 49% |
| Poquoson city, VA | 12 mi | 5% | 54% |
| Isle of Wight County, VA | 16 mi | 7% | 73% |
| Williamsburg city, VA | 17 mi | 1% | 77% |
| Portsmouth city, VA | 17 mi | under 1% | 22% |
| Norfolk city, VA | 19 mi | 2% | 28% |
| Surry County, VA | 20 mi | 2% | 75% |
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