Ranked from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
Driest Counties in Virginia
The least rainfall in the country. Dry is easier on a building than wet, but it moves the cost somewhere else: irrigation, foundation movement in shrink-swell soils, and in the driest counties the price and reliability of water itself. Figures are NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals from the weather station nearest each county seat, so they describe a thirty-year average rather than any single year.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Virginia ranked
| # | County | Annual rainfall | FEMA risk rating | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah County | 37.2" | Relatively Low | $265,800 |
| 2 | Clarke County | 39.0" | Very Low | $538,900 |
| 3 | Rockingham County | 39.0" | Relatively Low | $287,900 |
| 4 | Harrisonburg city | 39.0" | Very Low | $278,200 |
| 5 | Alleghany County | 39.5" | Very Low | $122,300 |
| 6 | Covington city | 39.5" | Very Low | $80,200 |
| 7 | Pulaski County | 40.0" | Relatively Low | $182,500 |
| 8 | Augusta County | 40.6" | Relatively Low | $281,400 |
| 9 | Staunton city | 40.6" | Very Low | $239,300 |
| 10 | Frederick County | 40.7" | Relatively Low | $355,000 |
| 11 | Winchester city | 40.7" | Very Low | $325,900 |
| 12 | Culpeper County | 41.0" | Relatively Low | $386,400 |
| 13 | Fauquier County | 41.0" | Relatively Low | $543,700 |
| 14 | King George County | 41.0" | Very Low | $395,900 |
| 15 | Prince William County | 41.0" | Relatively Moderate | $500,600 |
| 16 | Stafford County | 41.0" | Relatively Low | $458,800 |
| 17 | Manassas city | 41.0" | Very Low | $434,700 |
| 18 | Manassas Park city | 41.0" | Very Low | $381,200 |
| 19 | Tazewell County | 41.2" | Relatively Low | $116,100 |
| 20 | Greene County | 41.6" | Very Low | $315,300 |
| 21 | Madison County | 41.6" | Very Low | $331,400 |
| 22 | Wythe County | 41.7" | Relatively Low | $172,100 |
| 23 | Arlington County | 41.8" | Relatively Low | $864,800 |
| 24 | Alexandria city | 41.8" | Relatively Low | $696,800 |
| 25 | Falls Church city | 41.8" | Very Low | $1,005,400 |
| 26 | Radford city | 42.1" | Very Low | $211,700 |
| 27 | Giles County | 42.2" | Very Low | $143,500 |
| 28 | Montgomery County | 42.6" | Relatively Low | $283,600 |
| 29 | Amherst County | 42.8" | Very Low | $197,200 |
| 30 | Campbell County | 42.8" | Very Low | $199,200 |
| 31 | Craig County | 42.8" | Very Low | $210,500 |
| 32 | Floyd County | 42.8" | Very Low | $215,500 |
| 33 | Roanoke County | 42.8" | Relatively Low | $267,300 |
| 34 | Roanoke city | 42.8" | Relatively Low | $180,500 |
| 35 | Salem city | 42.8" | Very Low | $244,800 |
| 36 | Rockbridge County | 42.9" | Very Low | $238,700 |
| 37 | Buena Vista city | 42.9" | Very Low | $153,500 |
| 38 | Lexington city | 42.9" | Very Low | $275,300 |
| 39 | Accomack County | 43.3" | Relatively Moderate | $193,100 |
| 40 | Bland County | 43.3" | Very Low | $157,100 |
| 41 | Warren County | 43.4" | Very Low | $315,800 |
| 42 | Spotsylvania County | 43.4" | Relatively Low | $375,000 |
| 43 | Fredericksburg city | 43.4" | Very Low | $461,500 |
| 44 | Mecklenburg County | 43.5" | Relatively Low | $169,400 |
| 45 | Fairfax County | 43.6" | Relatively High | $699,700 |
| 46 | Fairfax city | 43.6" | Very Low | $677,400 |
| 47 | Botetourt County | 43.6" | Very Low | $268,900 |
| 48 | Lynchburg city | 43.6" | Relatively Low | $211,800 |
| 49 | Fluvanna County | 43.7" | Very Low | $281,700 |
| 50 | Danville city | 43.7" | Relatively Low | $110,200 |
| 51 | Orange County | 43.7" | Very Low | $337,300 |
| 52 | Loudoun County | 43.8" | Relatively Low | $701,000 |
| 53 | Lunenburg County | 43.9" | Very Low | $145,500 |
| 54 | Scott County | 44.0" | Very Low | $122,300 |
| 55 | Bristol city | 44.0" | Very Low | $168,700 |
| 56 | Page County | 44.1" | Very Low | $221,800 |
| 57 | Louisa County | 44.2" | Very Low | $275,600 |
| 58 | Northampton County | 44.5" | Relatively Low | $279,100 |
| 59 | Prince Edward County | 44.5" | Very Low | $203,700 |
| 60 | Goochland County | 44.9" | Very Low | $483,700 |
| 61 | Powhatan County | 44.9" | Very Low | $381,300 |
| 62 | York County | 45.1" | Relatively Low | $411,200 |
| 63 | Newport News city | 45.1" | Relatively Low | $243,300 |
| 64 | Essex County | 45.2" | Very Low | $228,600 |
| 65 | Richmond County | 45.2" | Very Low | $214,200 |
| 66 | Westmoreland County | 45.2" | Very Low | $244,000 |
| 67 | Hanover County | 45.3" | Relatively Low | $372,700 |
| 68 | Waynesboro city | 45.3" | Very Low | $236,600 |
| 69 | Amelia County | 45.4" | Very Low | $239,700 |
| 70 | Charles City County | 45.5" | Very Low | $224,100 |
| 71 | Chesterfield County | 45.5" | Relatively Moderate | $336,700 |
| 72 | Henrico County | 45.5" | Relatively Moderate | $333,600 |
| 73 | New Kent County | 45.5" | Very Low | $371,500 |
| 74 | Richmond city | 45.5" | Relatively Low | $328,100 |
| 75 | Carroll County | 45.6" | Relatively Low | $144,200 |
| 76 | Galax city | 45.6" | Very Low | $126,800 |
| 77 | King and Queen County | 45.6" | Very Low | $240,900 |
| 78 | King William County | 45.6" | Very Low | $276,500 |
| 79 | Norfolk city | 45.7" | Relatively Moderate | $271,900 |
| 80 | Portsmouth city | 45.7" | Relatively Low | $229,400 |
| 81 | Caroline County | 45.8" | Very Low | $283,100 |
| 82 | Russell County | 45.9" | Very Low | $119,600 |
| 83 | Brunswick County | 46.2" | Very Low | $132,700 |
| 84 | Greensville County | 46.2" | Very Low | $159,200 |
| 85 | Emporia city | 46.2" | Very Low | $131,100 |
| 86 | Appomattox County | 46.2" | Very Low | $189,200 |
| 87 | Bedford County | 46.3" | Relatively Low | $276,600 |
| 88 | Lancaster County | 46.3" | Very Low | $307,600 |
| 89 | Northumberland County | 46.3" | Very Low | $333,100 |
| 90 | Nelson County | 46.3" | Very Low | $283,000 |
| 91 | Halifax County | 46.4" | Relatively Low | $148,900 |
| 92 | Bath County | 46.5" | Very Low | $206,000 |
| 93 | Charlotte County | 46.6" | Very Low | $144,000 |
| 94 | Virginia Beach city | 46.6" | Relatively Low | $366,300 |
| 95 | Nottoway County | 46.8" | Very Low | $179,800 |
| 96 | Cumberland County | 46.9" | Very Low | $220,100 |
| 97 | Buchanan County | 46.9" | Relatively Low | $91,400 |
| 98 | Highland County | 46.9" | Very Low | $195,700 |
| 99 | Colonial Heights city | 47.0" | Very Low | $231,700 |
| 100 | Petersburg city | 47.0" | Very Low | $157,900 |
| 101 | Washington County | 47.3" | Relatively Low | $201,800 |
| 102 | Henry County | 47.4" | Relatively Low | $120,300 |
| 103 | Martinsville city | 47.4" | Very Low | $92,500 |
| 104 | Dinwiddie County | 47.6" | Very Low | $246,100 |
| 105 | Pittsylvania County | 47.7" | Relatively Low | $153,000 |
| 106 | Hampton city | 47.8" | Relatively Low | $234,100 |
| 107 | Poquoson city | 47.8" | Very Low | $403,000 |
| 108 | Franklin city | 47.9" | Very Low | $227,200 |
| 109 | Smyth County | 48.1" | Relatively Low | $125,800 |
| 110 | Buckingham County | 48.2" | Very Low | $167,800 |
| 111 | Charlottesville city | 48.2" | Very Low | $448,400 |
| 112 | Albemarle County | 48.5" | Relatively Low | $471,000 |
| 113 | Chesapeake city | 48.6" | Relatively Low | $359,100 |
| 114 | Rappahannock County | 48.8" | Very Low | $490,200 |
| 115 | Dickenson County | 49.2" | Very Low | $101,100 |
| 116 | Franklin County | 49.2" | Very Low | $222,800 |
| 117 | Lee County | 49.7" | Relatively Low | $98,700 |
| 118 | Isle of Wight County | 49.7" | Very Low | $333,600 |
| 119 | Southampton County | 49.7" | Very Low | $208,800 |
| 120 | Surry County | 49.7" | Very Low | $235,200 |
| 121 | Sussex County | 49.7" | Very Low | $178,500 |
| 122 | Prince George County | 49.9" | Very Low | $268,300 |
| 123 | Hopewell city | 50.1" | Very Low | $165,100 |
| 124 | James City County | 51.2" | Relatively Low | $419,200 |
| 125 | Williamsburg city | 51.2" | Very Low | $393,200 |
| 126 | Wise County | 51.6" | Relatively Low | $116,500 |
| 127 | Norton city | 51.6" | Very Low | $100,700 |
| 128 | Suffolk city | 51.8" | Relatively Low | $329,600 |
| 129 | Gloucester County | 51.9" | Very Low | $289,200 |
| 130 | Mathews County | 51.9" | Very Low | $348,800 |
| 131 | Middlesex County | 51.9" | Very Low | $299,800 |
| 132 | Patrick County | 52.3" | Very Low | $146,500 |
| 133 | Grayson County | 57.1" | Very Low | $132,300 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Driest Counties across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Virginia