Suffolk city, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 79% of Suffolk city's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 7th highest of 133 Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
63.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 59 flood losses here since 2016, 13% of them in buildings with basements. 32% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1996.
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 Suffolk city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.3% |
| Mapped soil | 274,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rains | 13% | n/a |
| Eunola | 12% | n/a |
| Nansemond | 9% | n/a |
| Kenansville | 6% | n/a |
| Lynchburg | 6% | n/a |
| Belhaven | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA800 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 79% of Suffolk 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: 39.08 in, 10.46 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.54 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
63.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 63.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
59 flood losses since 2016, $2.4 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 47. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 13% basements, 38% slabs, 50% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 47 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.54 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.08 in (-10.46) |
| 2025 | 49.20 in (-0.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 64.37 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 31.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUFFOLK LAKE KILBY (3 mi away) | 13.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 40,499 |
| Median year built | 1996 |
| Built before 1980 | 32% |
| Built 2000 or later | 44% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $347,400 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isle of Wight County, VA | 15 mi | 7% | 73% |
| Franklin city, VA | 17 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Gates County, NC | 18 mi | under 1% | 93% |
| Chesapeake city, VA | 19 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Portsmouth city, VA | 19 mi | under 1% | 22% |
| Southampton County, VA | 26 mi | 0% | 91% |
| Norfolk city, VA | 27 mi | 2% | 28% |
| Newport News city, VA | 27 mi | 8% | 32% |
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