HomeWest VirginiaBarbour County

Barbour County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Barbour County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

17%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

58%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Barbour County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.8%
High water table (limits basements)17.0%
Septic fields very limited97.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.8%
Mapped soil219,500 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin48%under 1%
Dekalb16%n/a
Ernest10%n/a
Westmoreland6%0%
Janelew5%n/a
Atkins2%n/a
Taylor County: 28%Upshur County: 29%Harrison County: 19%Tucker County: 26%Randolph County: 32%Marion County: 23%Lewis County: 4%Preston County: 25%Barbour County TaylorUpshurHarrisonTuckerRandolphMarionLewisPrestonBarbour
Barbour County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WV001 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 17% of Barbour 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: 49.83 in, 0.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.97 in.

USDA rates 98% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

6 flood losses since 2016, $82,074 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.97 in
12 months to August 202649.83 in (-0.14)
202547.41 in (-2.56)
Wettest year since 18952018: 72.81 in
Driest year since 18951930: 28.73 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BUCKHANNON (16 mi away)10.3

Homes

Housing units7,124
Median year built1976
Built before 198058%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$131,900
Single-family detached76%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Taylor County, WV 14 mi 1% 28%
Upshur County, WV 21 mi 5% 29%
Harrison County, WV 23 mi 10% 19%
Tucker County, WV 23 mi 0% 26%
Randolph County, WV 26 mi 0% 32%
Marion County, WV 29 mi 11% 23%
Lewis County, WV 29 mi 29% 4%
Preston County, WV 29 mi under 1% 25%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status