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Morgan County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Morgan County's mapped land and the 10th highest of 55 West Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

23%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

40%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Morgan County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.1%
High water table (limits basements)23.0%
Septic fields very limited96.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.6%
Mapped soil147,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Weikert21%under 1%
Berks19%under 1%
Calvin13%n/a
Sideling8%n/a
Klinesville6%n/a
Hazleton5%0%
Berkeley County: 21%Washington County: 18%Allegany County: 21%Frederick County: 15%Fulton County: 30%Hampshire County: 18%Winchester city: 5%Jefferson County: 14%Morgan County BerkeleyWashingtonAlleganyFrederickFultonHampshireWinchester cityJeffersonMorgan
Morgan 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 WV065 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 23% of Morgan 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: 30.70 in, 9.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.82 in.

USDA rates 96% 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 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 36 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 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

12 flood losses since 2016, $195,884 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 10.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201810
20190
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202039.82 in
12 months to August 202630.70 in (-9.12)
202532.91 in (-6.91)
Wettest year since 18952018: 67.80 in
Driest year since 18951930: 19.09 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CACAPON ST PK #2 (4 mi away)11.1

Homes

Housing units9,250
Median year built1987
Built before 198040%
Built 2000 or later27%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$240,600
Single-family detached81%

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
Berkeley County, WV 14 mi 8% 21%
Washington County, MD 24 mi 9% 18%
Allegany County, MD 24 mi 2% 21%
Frederick County, VA 25 mi 16% 15%
Fulton County, PA 25 mi 1% 30%
Hampshire County, WV 25 mi 1% 18%
Winchester city, VA 27 mi 22% 5%
Jefferson County, WV 27 mi 37% 14%

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