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Pocahontas County, West Virginia

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Pocahontas County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, 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 16 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Pocahontas County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)7.0%
Septic fields very limited94.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil602,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Berks16%0%
Mandy15%n/a
Cateache14%n/a
Weikert10%0%
Shouns8%n/a
Belmont4%n/a
Bath County: 0%Highland County: 1%Webster County: 0%Randolph County: 0%Greenbrier County: 0%Alleghany County: 1%Covington city: 1%Upshur County: 5%Pocahontas County BathHighlandWebsterRandolphGreenbrierAlleghanyCovington cityUpshurPocahontas
Pocahontas 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 WV075 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 42.68 in, 7.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.24 in.

USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Pocahontas 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 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

16 flood losses since 2016, $500,666 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 14.

YearFlood losses
201614
20170
20181
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.24 in
12 months to August 202642.68 in (-7.56)
202547.09 in (-3.15)
Wettest year since 18952018: 67.79 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.55 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SNOWSHOE (5 mi away)13.2

Homes

Housing units6,834
Median year built1982
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$152,400
Single-family detached64%

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
Bath County, VA 24 mi under 1% 9%
Highland County, VA 24 mi 1% 9%
Webster County, WV 26 mi 0% 20%
Randolph County, WV 32 mi 0% 32%
Greenbrier County, WV 37 mi 0% 8%
Alleghany County, VA 38 mi 1% 7%
Covington city, VA 38 mi 1% 23%
Upshur County, WV 41 mi 5% 29%

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