HomeWest VirginiaBerkeley County

Berkeley County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Berkeley County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.

1.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 4.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses here since 2016, 41% of them in buildings with basements. 28% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1996.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

8%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

21%

high water table: limits basements

1%

in drought, October 13, 2026

28%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Berkeley County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)8.0%
High water table (limits basements)21.0%
Septic fields very limited74.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)8.0%
Urban land, not rated1.2%
Mapped soil205,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Hagerstown17%n/a
Weikert16%under 1%
Berks15%under 1%
Buchanan6%n/a
Clearbrook5%n/a
Calvin4%n/a
Jefferson County: 14%Morgan County: 23%Washington County: 18%Winchester city: 5%Frederick County: 15%Clarke County: 15%Hampshire County: 18%Fulton County: 30%Berkeley County JeffersonMorganWashingtonWinchester cityFrederickClarkeHampshireFultonBerkeley
Berkeley 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 WV003 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 21% of Berkeley 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: 28.98 in, 10.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.84 in.

USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

1.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 46 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse82.8%
D1 moderate drought or worse1.3%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

30 flood losses since 2016, $858,970 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 16. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 41% basements, 14% slabs, 18% crawl spaces, 27% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201816
20192
20200
20210
20220
20231
20243
20256
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202039.84 in
12 months to August 202628.98 in (-10.86)
202532.39 in (-7.45)
Wettest year since 18952018: 64.75 in
Driest year since 18951930: 20.54 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARTINSBURG E WV RGNL AP (4 mi away)9

Homes

Housing units53,819
Median year built1996
Built before 198028%
Built 2000 or later44%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$266,300
Single-family detached68%

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
Jefferson County, WV 13 mi 37% 14%
Morgan County, WV 14 mi under 1% 23%
Washington County, MD 16 mi 9% 18%
Winchester city, VA 20 mi 22% 5%
Frederick County, VA 21 mi 16% 15%
Clarke County, VA 23 mi 31% 15%
Hampshire County, WV 32 mi 1% 18%
Fulton County, PA 32 mi 1% 30%

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