Richmond city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Richmond city's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 44 flood losses here since 2016, 9% of them in buildings with basements. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Richmond city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 36.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 25.8% |
| Mapped soil | 39,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Turbeville | 14% | n/a |
| Wateree | 5% | n/a |
| Atlee | 5% | n/a |
| Roanoke | 5% | n/a |
| Edgehill | 4% | n/a |
| Appling | 4% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas VA760 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 21% of Richmond 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: 40.65 in, 5.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.30 in.
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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 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
44 flood losses since 2016, $667,234 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 15. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 9% basements, 41% slabs, 9% crawl spaces, 41% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.30 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.65 in (-5.65) |
| 2025 | 48.51 in (+2.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 66.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RICHMOND INTL AP (9 mi away) | 11.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 114,293 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 44% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $353,000 |
| Single-family detached | 45% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henrico County, VA | 12 mi | 7% | 54% |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 12 mi | 11% | 42% |
| Hanover County, VA | 16 mi | 3% | 43% |
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 19 mi | 3% | 44% |
| Hopewell city, VA | 19 mi | 4% | 79% |
| Petersburg city, VA | 23 mi | 2% | 57% |
| Powhatan County, VA | 24 mi | 12% | 23% |
| King William County, VA | 24 mi | 2% | 63% |
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