HomeVirginiaSouthampton County

Southampton County, Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 91% of Southampton County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 133 Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

91%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Southampton County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)91.2%
Septic fields very limited99.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil388,352 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Slagle24%n/a
Emporia13%n/a
Bibb8%n/a
Uchee8%n/a
Myatt7%n/a
Chastain5%n/a
Franklin city: 88%Sussex County: 96%Emporia city: 70%Isle of Wight County: 73%Greensville County: 80%Hertford County: 92%Suffolk city: 79%Northampton County: 86%Southampton County Franklin citySussexEmporia cityIsle of WightGreensvilleHertfordSuffolk cityNorthamptonSouthampton
Southampton County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas VA175 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 91% of Southampton County'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: 33.82 in, 15.21 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.03 in.

USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse76.6%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $24,468 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20163
20170
20180
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.03 in
12 months to August 202633.82 in (-15.21)
202550.43 in (+1.40)
Wettest year since 18952020: 69.19 in
Driest year since 18951930: 30.03 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MURFREESBORO (19 mi away)14.2

Homes

Housing units7,810
Median year built1981
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$216,200
Single-family detached80%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Franklin city, VA 9 mi 0% 88%
Sussex County, VA 17 mi 1% 96%
Emporia city, VA 24 mi 3% 70%
Isle of Wight County, VA 25 mi 7% 73%
Greensville County, VA 25 mi 8% 80%
Hertford County, NC 26 mi 20% 92%
Suffolk city, VA 26 mi 6% 79%
Northampton County, NC 26 mi under 1% 86%

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