York County, Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 59% of York County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
2.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 York County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 59.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 67,552 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Emporia | 13% | n/a |
| Slagle | 9% | n/a |
| Tomotley | 8% | n/a |
| Bethera | 5% | n/a |
| Craven | 4% | n/a |
| Uchee | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VA695 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 59% of York 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: 40.12 in, 8.51 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.63 in.
USDA rates 61% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
2.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the July 14, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 2.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $43,808 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.12 in (-8.51) |
| 2025 | 50.08 in (+1.45) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 67.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILLIAMSBURG 2 N (18 mi away) | 13.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 28,506 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $433,200 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poquoson city, VA | 8 mi | 5% | 54% |
| Newport News city, VA | 12 mi | 8% | 32% |
| Hampton city, VA | 13 mi | 11% | 49% |
| Gloucester County, VA | 14 mi | 11% | 61% |
| Mathews County, VA | 16 mi | 6% | 50% |
| Williamsburg city, VA | 18 mi | 1% | 77% |
| Norfolk city, VA | 22 mi | 2% | 28% |
| James City County, VA | 22 mi | 8% | 58% |
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