HomeWest VirginiaMercer County

Mercer County, West Virginia

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Mercer 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 34 flood losses here since 2016, 28% of them in buildings with basements. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.

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

60%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mercer County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.3%
High water table (limits basements)10.5%
Septic fields very limited94.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.3%
Mapped soil269,184 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Gilpin21%0%
Berks19%0%
Cateache15%n/a
Lily7%n/a
Clymer6%n/a
Ernest4%n/a
Bland County: 3%Summers County: 0%Giles County: 10%Raleigh County: 0%Wyoming County: 0%McDowell County: 0%Tazewell County: 10%Pulaski County: 19%Mercer County BlandSummersGilesRaleighWyomingMcDowellTazewellPulaskiMercer
Mercer 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 WV623 (2025-09-08), WV713 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 38.83 in, 3.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.12 in.

USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Mercer 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 weeks, most recently on the July 14, 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

34 flood losses since 2016, $1.5 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 19. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 28% basements, 28% slabs, 34% crawl spaces, 10% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20183
20191
20203
20210
20220
20233
20242
202519
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202042.12 in
12 months to August 202638.83 in (-3.29)
202538.19 in (-3.93)
Wettest year since 18951901: 56.18 in
Driest year since 18951930: 23.84 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PRINCETON (2 mi away)7.3

Homes

Housing units29,345
Median year built1974
Built before 198060%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$121,700
Single-family detached67%

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
Bland County, VA 19 mi 3% 11%
Summers County, WV 22 mi under 1% 8%
Giles County, VA 23 mi 10% 4%
Raleigh County, WV 26 mi 0% 8%
Wyoming County, WV 28 mi 0% 1%
McDowell County, WV 30 mi 0% under 1%
Tazewell County, VA 32 mi 10% 3%
Pulaski County, VA 32 mi 19% 6%

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