HomeWest VirginiaBrooke County

Brooke County, West Virginia

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Brooke County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 9%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 41 flood losses here since 2016, 59% of them in buildings with basements. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

9%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

74%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Brooke County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.1%
High water table (limits basements)9.0%
Septic fields very limited58.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.1%
Urban land, not rated1.5%
Mapped soil59,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Westmoreland50%0%
Gilpin7%0%
Guernsey3%n/a
Huntington3%n/a
Allegheny1%n/a
Lindside1%n/a
Ohio County: 1%Jefferson County: 21%Hancock County: 1%Washington County: 7%Belmont County: 23%Harrison County: 27%Marshall County: 5%Beaver County: 6%Brooke County OhioJeffersonHancockWashingtonBelmontHarrisonMarshallBeaverBrooke
Brooke County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WV604 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.44 in, 0.25 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.69 in.

USDA rates 58% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 9% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Brooke County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 72.2% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 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

41 flood losses since 2016, $1.0 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 16. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 59% basements, 26% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 7% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.

YearFlood losses
20169
20170
201816
20191
20200
20210
20221
20230
202414
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202041.69 in
12 months to August 202641.44 in (-0.25)
202533.01 in (-8.68)
Wettest year since 18952018: 61.79 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.55 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PIKE ISLAND(LOCK & DAM) (10 mi away)7.4

Homes

Housing units10,691
Median year built1966
Built before 198074%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$141,500
Single-family detached73%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Ohio County, WV 11 mi 1% 7%
Jefferson County, OH 13 mi 21% 11%
Hancock County, WV 18 mi 1% 11%
Washington County, PA 18 mi 7% 51%
Belmont County, OH 26 mi 23% 18%
Harrison County, OH 27 mi 27% 29%
Marshall County, WV 29 mi 5% 48%
Beaver County, PA 32 mi 6% 35%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status