Stafford County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Stafford County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 51 flood losses here since 2016, 19% of them in buildings with basements. 21% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
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 Stafford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.5% |
| Mapped soil | 178,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sassafras | 9% | n/a |
| Nason | 8% | n/a |
| Caroline | 7% | n/a |
| Appling | 6% | 0% |
| Bourne | 5% | n/a |
| Cullen | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA179 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Stafford 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: 30.13 in, 12.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.58 in.
USDA rates 65% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 41 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0.2% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
51 flood losses since 2016, $461,441 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 23. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 19% basements, 19% slabs, 19% crawl spaces, 43% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 6 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.13 in (-12.45) |
| 2025 | 36.66 in (-5.92) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 59.51 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FREDERICKSBURG SEWAGE (9 mi away) | 11.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 54,659 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 44% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $485,100 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fredericksburg city, VA | 9 mi | 0% | 49% |
| King George County, VA | 19 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Prince William County, VA | 19 mi | 9% | 35% |
| Spotsylvania County, VA | 20 mi | 1% | 36% |
| Manassas city, VA | 22 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Manassas Park city, VA | 24 mi | 0% | 16% |
| Charles County, MD | 24 mi | 4% | 61% |
| Culpeper County, VA | 27 mi | 24% | 27% |
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