HomeWest VirginiaMarion County
Marion County, West Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Marion County's mapped land and the 9th highest of 55 West Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 65 flood losses here since 2016, 56% of them in buildings with basements. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Marion County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 11.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 23.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 199,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Culleoka | 26% | n/a |
| Gilpin | 20% | under 1% |
| Westmoreland | 13% | 0% |
| Clarksburg | 10% | n/a |
| Upshur | 9% | 0% |
| Dekalb | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WV611 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 23% of Marion 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: 45.66 in, 0.52 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.18 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 92.6% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
65 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 52. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 56% basements, 15% slabs, 11% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 52 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.18 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.66 in (-0.52) |
| 2025 | 45.96 in (-0.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 63.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FAIRMONT (7 mi away) | 9.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 26,276 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,700 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monongalia County, WV | 13 mi | 8% | 24% |
| Taylor County, WV | 16 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Harrison County, WV | 17 mi | 10% | 19% |
| Wetzel County, WV | 22 mi | 27% | 7% |
| Greene County, PA | 24 mi | 6% | 59% |
| Barbour County, WV | 29 mi | 2% | 17% |
| Doddridge County, WV | 30 mi | 25% | 7% |
| Preston County, WV | 31 mi | under 1% | 25% |
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