Petersburg city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 57% of Petersburg city's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 39 flood losses here since 2016, 12% of them in buildings with basements. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Petersburg city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 56.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 58.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.5% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.7% |
| Mapped soil | 222,005 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Appling | 38% | 0% |
| Mattaponi | 21% | n/a |
| Roanoke | 13% | n/a |
| Emporia | 11% | n/a |
| Slagle | 7% | n/a |
| Helena | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA653 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 57% of Petersburg 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: 40.73 in, 6.74 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.47 in.
USDA rates 58% 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 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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
39 flood losses since 2016, $1.7 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 14. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 12% basements, 45% slabs, 42% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.73 in (-6.74) |
| 2025 | 52.66 in (+5.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 68.80 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.76 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOPEWELL (9 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,075 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 39% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $189,000 |
| Single-family detached | 51% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 4 mi | 3% | 44% |
| Hopewell city, VA | 8 mi | 4% | 79% |
| Prince George County, VA | 10 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 16 mi | 11% | 42% |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | 16 mi | 4% | 40% |
| Henrico County, VA | 17 mi | 7% | 54% |
| Sussex County, VA | 21 mi | 1% | 96% |
| Charles City County, VA | 21 mi | 18% | 71% |
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