Sinkhole risk in Franklin city, VA: No soluble rock mapped

What this means before you buy

No soluble bedrock is mapped here, so natural sinkholes are unlikely. Collapses from broken pipes or old mines are a separate risk.

Across 8 square miles, under one square mile of Franklin city maps onto soluble rock. With about 8,373 residents (1,012 per square mile), most of the county is built up, so a mapped unit is likely to sit under somebody's street. The figures come from 605 map points about 0.1 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Read next: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Franklin city

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Hertford County, NC, about 22 miles south, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. None of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so Franklin city stands out from its surroundings.

• Southampton County, VA 9 mi west · 21% at surface
• Suffolk city, VA 17 mi east · 4% at surface
• Isle of Wight County, VA 20 mi northeast · 5% at surface
• Gates County, NC 21 mi southeast · 46% at surface
• Hertford County, NC 22 mi south · 75% at surface
• Sussex County, VA 24 mi northwest · 14% at surface

Against the rest of Virginia

Franklin city ranks 124 of 133 in Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.

• Lexington city 100%
• Salem city 100%
• Roanoke city 98%
• Winchester city 90%
• Bristol city 89%