HomeWest VirginiaMonongalia County

Monongalia County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 24% of Monongalia County's mapped land and the 8th highest of 55 West Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

8%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

24%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Monongalia County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.9%
High water table (limits basements)23.6%
Septic fields very limited91.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.9%
Urban land, not rated1.1%
Mapped soil234,100 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Culleoka19%n/a
Gilpin16%under 1%
Westmoreland12%0%
Dekalb10%n/a
Clarksburg9%n/a
Upshur6%0%
Marion County: 23%Greene County: 59%Taylor County: 28%Preston County: 25%Fayette County: 49%Harrison County: 19%Wetzel County: 7%Barbour County: 17%Monongalia County MarionGreeneTaylorPrestonFayetteHarrisonWetzelBarbourMonongalia
Monongalia 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 WV611 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 24% of Monongalia 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: 44.22 in, 1.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.21 in.

USDA rates 92% 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 29.7% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 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

33 flood losses since 2016, $651,762 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 21.

YearFlood losses
20161
20177
20180
20191
20200
202121
20222
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.21 in
12 months to August 202644.22 in (-1.99)
202548.34 in (+2.13)
Wettest year since 18952011: 63.07 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.61 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MORGANTOWN HART FLD (8 mi away)7.2

Homes

Housing units49,932
Median year built1988
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later35%
Owner-occupied58%
Median value, owner-occupied$267,700
Single-family detached50%

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 13 mi 11% 23%
Greene County, PA 17 mi 6% 59%
Taylor County, WV 21 mi 1% 28%
Preston County, WV 24 mi under 1% 25%
Fayette County, PA 30 mi 2% 49%
Harrison County, WV 30 mi 10% 19%
Wetzel County, WV 31 mi 27% 7%
Barbour County, WV 34 mi 2% 17%

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