Radford city, Virginia
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19% of Radford city's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties and the 9th highest of 133 Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Radford city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 5.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 16.1% |
| Mapped soil | 6,395 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Unison | 27% | n/a |
| Berks | 10% | 0% |
| Groseclose | 5% | n/a |
| Jefferson | 4% | n/a |
| Poplimento | 3% | n/a |
| Caneyville | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 9% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.26 in, 11.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.17 in.
USDA rates 72% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 36 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 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
3 flood losses since 2016, $460,730 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.17 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.26 in (-11.91) |
| 2025 | 35.18 in (-5.99) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 59.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHRISTIANSBURG (9 mi away) | 8.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,459 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 42% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $220,700 |
| Single-family detached | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County, VA | 9 mi | 19% | 6% |
| Montgomery County, VA | 10 mi | 33% | 6% |
| Giles County, VA | 16 mi | 10% | 4% |
| Floyd County, VA | 17 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Roanoke County, VA | 25 mi | 4% | 2% |
| Craig County, VA | 27 mi | 3% | 15% |
| Carroll County, VA | 28 mi | 1% | 5% |
| Monroe County, WV | 30 mi | 2% | 14% |
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