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Northampton County, Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 34% of Northampton County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

34%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Northampton County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)34.4%
Septic fields very limited58.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil226,087 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Bojac22%n/a
Chincoteague15%n/a
Nimmo7%n/a
Munden6%n/a
Polawana2%n/a
Molena2%n/a
Mathews County: 50%Poquoson city: 54%York County: 59%Hampton city: 49%Norfolk city: 28%Accomack County: 57%Gloucester County: 61%Newport News city: 32%Northampton County MathewsPoquoson cityYorkHampton cityNorfolk cityAccomackGloucesterNewport News cityNorthampton
Northampton 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 VA131 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 34% of Northampton 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: 38.22 in, 8.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.36 in.

USDA rates 59% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

5 flood losses since 2016, $85,840 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20162
20170
20183
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.36 in
12 months to August 202638.22 in (-8.14)
202544.77 in (-1.59)
Wettest year since 18951979: 59.58 in
Driest year since 18951930: 24.84 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAINTER 2 W (20 mi away)11.4

Homes

Housing units7,550
Median year built1982
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later32%
Owner-occupied66%
Median value, owner-occupied$316,200
Single-family detached74%

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
Mathews County, VA 21 mi 6% 50%
Poquoson city, VA 25 mi 5% 54%
York County, VA 27 mi 3% 59%
Hampton city, VA 28 mi 11% 49%
Norfolk city, VA 32 mi 2% 28%
Accomack County, VA 32 mi 0% 57%
Gloucester County, VA 34 mi 11% 61%
Newport News city, VA 37 mi 8% 32%

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