HomeWest VirginiaNicholas County

Nicholas County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Nicholas County's mapped land. 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 74 flood losses here since 2016, 15% of them in buildings with basements. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

21%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Nicholas County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.1%
High water table (limits basements)21.5%
Septic fields very limited97.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.1%
Mapped soil418,427 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Clifftop32%n/a
Buchanan18%n/a
Gilpin11%under 1%
Dekalb7%n/a
Pineville7%n/a
Lily6%n/a
Clay County: 1%Webster County: 20%Fayette County: 7%Braxton County: 11%Greenbrier County: 8%Kanawha County: 5%Calhoun County: 5%Pocahontas County: 7%Nicholas County ClayWebsterFayetteBraxtonGreenbrierKanawhaCalhounPocahontasNicholas
Nicholas 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 WV621 (2025-09-08), WV767 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 21% of Nicholas 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: 46.95 in, 4.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.22 in.

USDA rates 97% 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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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

74 flood losses since 2016, $5.9 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 70. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 15% basements, 15% slabs, 41% crawl spaces, 30% elevated.

YearFlood losses
201670
20170
20180
20190
20201
20211
20222
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.22 in
12 months to August 202646.95 in (-4.27)
202550.98 in (-0.24)
Wettest year since 18952018: 66.95 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.85 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RUPERT 4 N (20 mi away)11

Homes

Housing units12,550
Median year built1981
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied82%
Median value, owner-occupied$121,600
Single-family detached73%

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
Clay County, WV 19 mi 8% 1%
Webster County, WV 23 mi 0% 20%
Fayette County, WV 24 mi 0% 7%
Braxton County, WV 28 mi 25% 11%
Greenbrier County, WV 32 mi 0% 8%
Kanawha County, WV 40 mi 13% 5%
Calhoun County, WV 42 mi 34% 5%
Pocahontas County, WV 43 mi 0% 7%

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