Washington County, Virginia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Washington County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses here since 2016, 28% of them in buildings with basements. 47% 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 Washington County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.5% |
| Mapped soil | 341,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick | 28% | 23% |
| Westmoreland | 11% | 0% |
| Weikert | 9% | 0% |
| Hagerstown | 8% | n/a |
| Lily | 7% | n/a |
| Litz | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA191 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 42.72 in, 3.85 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.57 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Washington County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
32 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 11. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 28% basements, 16% slabs, 28% crawl spaces, 28% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.57 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.72 in (-3.85) |
| 2025 | 49.69 in (+3.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 60.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 31.16 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ABINGDON 3S (6 mi away) | 8.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,570 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $214,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol city, VA | 15 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Russell County, VA | 15 mi | 13% | 5% |
| Johnson County, TN | 21 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Smyth County, VA | 24 mi | 11% | 5% |
| Sullivan County, TN | 25 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Ashe County, NC | 33 mi | 0% | 4% |
| Carter County, TN | 33 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Tazewell County, VA | 34 mi | 10% | 3% |
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