HomeWest VirginiaMarshall County
Marshall County, West Virginia
A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Marshall County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties and the highest of 55 West Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 69 flood losses here since 2016, 77% of them in buildings with basements. 74% 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 Marshall County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.3% |
| Mapped soil | 199,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Dormont | 40% | n/a |
| Culleoka | 36% | n/a |
| Gilpin | 5% | under 1% |
| Peabody | 4% | n/a |
| Brookside | 3% | n/a |
| Sensabaugh | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WV051 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 48% of Marshall 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: 47.73 in, 2.01 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 45.72 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 28, 2025 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
69 flood losses since 2016, $924,519 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 43. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 77% basements, 14% slabs, 9% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 43 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.73 in (+2.01) |
| 2025 | 37.49 in (-8.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 67.71 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOUNDSVILLE (6 mi away) | 9.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,701 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $149,800 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio County, WV | 18 mi | 1% | 7% |
| Wetzel County, WV | 18 mi | 27% | 7% |
| Belmont County, OH | 19 mi | 23% | 18% |
| Greene County, PA | 24 mi | 6% | 59% |
| Monroe County, OH | 24 mi | 27% | 18% |
| Brooke County, WV | 29 mi | 1% | 9% |
| Tyler County, WV | 29 mi | 34% | 9% |
| Washington County, PA | 33 mi | 7% | 51% |
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