Poquoson city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Poquoson city's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
97.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 45 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Poquoson city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 54.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.3% |
| Mapped soil | 14,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Axis | 29% | n/a |
| Tomotley | 7% | n/a |
| Bohicket | 5% | n/a |
| Nimmo | 3% | n/a |
| Augusta | 2% | n/a |
| Lawnes | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA715 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Poquoson 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: 38.12 in, 9.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.75 in.
USDA rates 54% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
97.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 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 | 97.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
45 flood losses since 2016, $269,183 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 22. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% slabs, 53% crawl spaces, 44% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.75 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.12 in (-9.63) |
| 2025 | 47.10 in (-0.65) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 64.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.08 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NORFOLK NAS (12 mi away) | 10.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,971 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $400,300 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton city, VA | 6 mi | 11% | 49% |
| York County, VA | 8 mi | 3% | 59% |
| Newport News city, VA | 12 mi | 8% | 32% |
| Norfolk city, VA | 15 mi | 2% | 28% |
| Portsmouth city, VA | 19 mi | under 1% | 22% |
| Mathews County, VA | 21 mi | 6% | 50% |
| Gloucester County, VA | 23 mi | 11% | 61% |
| Williamsburg city, VA | 24 mi | 1% | 77% |
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