HomeWest VirginiaMcDowell County

McDowell County, West Virginia

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of McDowell County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, 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 69 flood losses here since 2016, 34% of them in buildings with basements. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

<1%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

76%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under McDowell County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)0.2%
Septic fields very limited96.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil342,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Pineville43%n/a
Berks40%0%
Kaymine3%n/a
Lily3%n/a
Cedarcreek2%n/a
Gilpin2%0%
Wyoming County: 0%Tazewell County: 10%Buchanan County: 0%Mercer County: 0%Raleigh County: 0%Bland County: 3%Logan County: 0%Mingo County: 0%McDowell County WyomingTazewellBuchananMercerRaleighBlandLoganMingoMcDowell
McDowell 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 WV047 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.34 in, 2.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.21 in.

USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of McDowell 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 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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

69 flood losses since 2016, $2.6 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 60. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 34% basements, 28% slabs, 15% crawl spaces, 22% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 30 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20203
20210
20222
20231
20241
202560
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.21 in
12 months to August 202643.34 in (-2.87)
202544.95 in (-1.26)
Wettest year since 18952020: 59.43 in
Driest year since 18951930: 28.54 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PINEVILLE (15 mi away)9.5

Homes

Housing units9,336
Median year built1958
Built before 198076%
Built 2000 or later9%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$50,000
Single-family detached71%

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
Wyoming County, WV 16 mi 0% 1%
Tazewell County, VA 19 mi 10% 3%
Buchanan County, VA 22 mi 0% 1%
Mercer County, WV 30 mi under 1% 11%
Raleigh County, WV 34 mi 0% 8%
Bland County, VA 34 mi 3% 11%
Logan County, WV 35 mi 0% 1%
Mingo County, WV 36 mi 0% under 1%

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