Sussex County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Sussex County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the highest of 133 Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
87.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Sussex County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 315,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Slagle | 26% | n/a |
| Chastain | 10% | n/a |
| Emporia | 8% | n/a |
| Craven | 6% | n/a |
| Roanoke | 6% | n/a |
| Myatt | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA183 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 96% of Sussex 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: 33.34 in, 15.07 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.41 in.
USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
87.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 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 | 87.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 3.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.34 in (-15.07) |
| 2025 | 53.79 in (+5.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 68.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 27.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAKEFIELD 1NW (14 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,706 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $183,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton County, VA | 17 mi | 0% | 91% |
| Prince George County, VA | 18 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Petersburg city, VA | 21 mi | 2% | 57% |
| Emporia city, VA | 22 mi | 3% | 70% |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | 23 mi | 4% | 40% |
| Greensville County, VA | 24 mi | 8% | 80% |
| Franklin city, VA | 24 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 24 mi | 3% | 44% |
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