Norton city, Virginia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Norton city's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Norton city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 11.7% |
| Mapped soil | 4,811 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 44.82 in, 5.02 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.84 in.
USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Norton city; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 15 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $76,097 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.84 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.82 in (-5.02) |
| 2025 | 53.92 in (+4.08) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 62.95 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 35.20 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WISE 1SE (5 mi away) | 10.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,764 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 50% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $110,000 |
| Single-family detached | 54% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise County, VA | 3 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Scott County, VA | 15 mi | 19% | 7% |
| Letcher County, KY | 18 mi | 0% | under 1% |
| Dickenson County, VA | 21 mi | 0% | under 1% |
| Russell County, VA | 29 mi | 13% | 5% |
| Lee County, VA | 32 mi | 13% | 4% |
| Harlan County, KY | 33 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Bristol city, VA | 34 mi | 0% | 5% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status