Shenandoah County, Virginia
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37% of Shenandoah County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 133 Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 14%.
The soil survey maps 77% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Shenandoah County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 14.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.9% |
| Mapped soil | 250,200 acres |
How we count · survey areas VA171 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.8% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.15 in, 8.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.39 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 49 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 38 weeks, most recently on the August 11, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 78.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $78,842 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.15 in (-8.24) |
| 2025 | 37.61 in (-2.78) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 61.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 16.81 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WOODSTOCK 2 NE (6 mi away) | 8.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,395 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $294,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page County, VA | 17 mi | 3% | 16% |
| Hardy County, WV | 18 mi | 3% | 19% |
| Warren County, VA | 20 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Rappahannock County, VA | 25 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Frederick County, VA | 29 mi | 16% | 15% |
| Rockingham County, VA | 29 mi | 20% | 14% |
| Winchester city, VA | 31 mi | 22% | 5% |
| Hampshire County, WV | 32 mi | 1% | 18% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status