SinkholeOdds

Sinkhole risk in Suffolk city, VA: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock
4%
At or near the surface
4%
Buried under cover
0%

What this means before you buy

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 16 of Suffolk city's 399 square miles on soluble rock, 16 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 103,105 residents (258 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 563 map points about 0.8 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 Suffolk city

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Hertford County, NC, about 30 miles southwest, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 1 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Chesapeake Group (sand), Tertiary in age, covering about 4% of the county.

Against the rest of Virginia

Suffolk city ranks 71 of 133 in Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 61% of US counties on that measure.