HomeWest VirginiaHarrison County

Harrison County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Harrison County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 42 flood losses here since 2016, 18% of them in buildings with basements. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1965.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

19%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

67%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Harrison County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.1%
High water table (limits basements)18.5%
Septic fields very limited93.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.1%
Urban land, not rated3.8%
Mapped soil266,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin29%under 1%
Westmoreland24%0%
Upshur10%0%
Clarksburg7%n/a
Fairpoint7%n/a
Guernsey4%n/a
Marion County: 23%Doddridge County: 7%Taylor County: 28%Lewis County: 4%Barbour County: 17%Wetzel County: 7%Upshur County: 29%Tyler County: 9%Harrison County MarionDoddridgeTaylorLewisBarbourWetzelUpshurTylerHarrison
Harrison 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 WV610 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 19% of Harrison 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: 48.49 in, 0.75 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 47.74 in.

USDA rates 93% 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

42 flood losses since 2016, $553,999 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 13. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 18% basements, 24% slabs, 35% crawl spaces, 24% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20162
20178
20184
20191
20201
20210
20224
20234
20244
20251
2026 to date13

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.74 in
12 months to August 202648.49 in (+0.75)
202544.75 in (-2.99)
Wettest year since 18951996: 63.20 in
Driest year since 18951930: 24.37 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLARKSBURG 1 (2 mi away)10.3

Homes

Housing units30,537
Median year built1965
Built before 198067%
Built 2000 or later14%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$166,200
Single-family detached75%

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
Marion County, WV 17 mi 11% 23%
Doddridge County, WV 17 mi 25% 7%
Taylor County, WV 19 mi 1% 28%
Lewis County, WV 21 mi 29% 4%
Barbour County, WV 23 mi 2% 17%
Wetzel County, WV 26 mi 27% 7%
Upshur County, WV 27 mi 5% 29%
Tyler County, WV 29 mi 34% 9%

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