Sinkhole risk in Norton city, VA: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 40%
At or near the surface: 40%
Buried under cover: 0%

What to do about a house in Norton city

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 3 of Norton city's 7 square miles on soluble rock, 3 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 3,478 residents (465 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 498 map points about 0.1 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: the signs to look for and how an inspection works, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Norton city

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Scott County, VA, about 15 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 Norton city stands out from its surroundings.

Wise County, VA 3 mi north · 9% at surface
Scott County, VA 15 mi south · 72% at surface
Letcher County, KY 18 mi northwest · 4% at surface
Dickenson County, VA 21 mi northeast · 0% at surface
Russell County, VA 29 mi east · 64% at surface
Lee County, VA 32 mi southwest · 67% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Mississippian Formations Undivided (shale), Mississippian in age, covering about 40% of the county.

Against the rest of Virginia

Norton city ranks 30 of 133 in Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 84% of US counties on that measure.