Waynesboro city, Virginia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Waynesboro city's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 9%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 51% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Waynesboro city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 8.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 31.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 43.4% |
| Mapped soil | 4,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick | 9% | 23% |
| Sherando | 7% | n/a |
| Christian | 7% | n/a |
| Allegheny | 5% | n/a |
| Craigsville | 5% | n/a |
| Cotaco | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA820 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 28.35 in, 13.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.26 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 9% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Waynesboro city; 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 51 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 51 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $27,123 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.35 in (-13.91) |
| 2025 | 38.19 in (-4.07) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 65.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 18.14 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STAUNTON WTP (12 mi away) | 9.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,510 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $245,500 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton city, VA | 11 mi | 8% | 4% |
| Augusta County, VA | 15 mi | 3% | 11% |
| Albemarle County, VA | 19 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Nelson County, VA | 19 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Charlottesville city, VA | 23 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Harrisonburg city, VA | 26 mi | 58% | 4% |
| Greene County, VA | 28 mi | 1% | 11% |
| Rockingham County, VA | 30 mi | 20% | 14% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status