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Northumberland County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Northumberland County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Northumberland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 23.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 139,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sassafras | 19% | n/a |
| Suffolk | 8% | n/a |
| Matapeake | 5% | n/a |
| Acredale | 5% | n/a |
| Mattapex | 3% | n/a |
| Woodstown | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA133 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 23% of Northumberland 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: 38.13 in, 7.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.10 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
14 flood losses since 2016, $189,539 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.13 in (-7.97) |
| 2025 | 46.04 in (-0.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 62.94 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 22.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARSAW 2 NW (23 mi away) | 12.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,044 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $346,800 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, VA | 11 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Middlesex County, VA | 19 mi | 1% | 40% |
| Richmond County, VA | 19 mi | 6% | 42% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 26 mi | 1% | 47% |
| Westmoreland County, VA | 28 mi | 8% | 38% |
| King and Queen County, VA | 30 mi | 2% | 77% |
| Essex County, VA | 30 mi | 1% | 45% |
| Mathews County, VA | 30 mi | 6% | 50% |
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