Scott County, Virginia
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19% of Scott County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties and the 10th highest of 133 Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Scott County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.0% |
| Mapped soil | 308,600 acres |
How we count · survey areas VA169 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.4% by land area here, and 19% 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: 46.77 in, 2.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.24 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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
5 flood losses since 2016, $17,232 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.24 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.77 in (-2.47) |
| 2025 | 50.81 in (+1.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 62.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 34.29 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KINGSPORT (14 mi away) | 9.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,780 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $143,000 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norton city, VA | 15 mi | 0% | under 1% |
| Wise County, VA | 18 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Sullivan County, TN | 22 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Hawkins County, TN | 25 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Bristol city, VA | 26 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Lee County, VA | 29 mi | 13% | 4% |
| Washington County, TN | 30 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Letcher County, KY | 31 mi | 0% | under 1% |
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