HomeWest VirginiaHancock County

Hancock County, West Virginia

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Hancock County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, 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 15 flood losses here since 2016. 81% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

11%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

81%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Hancock County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.2%
High water table (limits basements)11.0%
Septic fields very limited81.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.2%
Urban land, not rated2.3%
Mapped soil56,500 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Berks42%0%
Gilpin21%0%
Ernest5%n/a
Dekalb4%n/a
Allegheny2%n/a
Philo1%n/a
Jefferson County: 21%Beaver County: 6%Brooke County: 1%Columbiana County: 2%Washington County: 7%Carroll County: 2%Ohio County: 1%Allegheny County: 10%Hancock County JeffersonBeaverBrookeColumbianaWashingtonCarrollOhioAlleghenyHancock
Hancock 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: 42.50 in, 1.21 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.29 in.

USDA rates 81% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Hancock 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 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 28, 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

15 flood losses since 2016, $86,078 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20183
20190
20202
20210
20222
20231
20247
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202041.29 in
12 months to August 202642.50 in (+1.21)
202533.33 in (-7.96)
Wettest year since 18952018: 59.26 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.01 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONTGOMERY L&D (13 mi away)7.6

Homes

Housing units14,194
Median year built1959
Built before 198081%
Built 2000 or later7%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$130,800
Single-family detached78%

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
Jefferson County, OH 13 mi 21% 11%
Beaver County, PA 16 mi 6% 35%
Brooke County, WV 18 mi 1% 9%
Columbiana County, OH 21 mi 2% 53%
Washington County, PA 28 mi 7% 51%
Carroll County, OH 28 mi 2% 28%
Ohio County, WV 28 mi 1% 7%
Allegheny County, PA 31 mi 10% 31%

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