HomeWest VirginiaRandolph County

Randolph County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Randolph County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 55 West Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

32%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

55%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Randolph County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)31.8%
Septic fields very limited95.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil665,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Calvin16%n/a
Highsplint12%n/a
Dekalb9%n/a
Ernest7%n/a
Berks7%under 1%
Buchanan6%n/a
Upshur County: 29%Barbour County: 17%Tucker County: 26%Pendleton County: 10%Pocahontas County: 7%Highland County: 9%Lewis County: 4%Webster County: 20%Randolph County UpshurBarbourTuckerPendletonPocahontasHighlandLewisWebsterRandolph
Randolph 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 WV602 (2025-09-08), WV603 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 32% of Randolph 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: 50.00 in, 5.21 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.21 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 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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

32 flood losses since 2016, $384,240 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 8.

YearFlood losses
20165
20171
20186
20198
20202
20210
20220
20230
20248
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202055.21 in
12 months to August 202650.00 in (-5.21)
202551.10 in (-4.11)
Wettest year since 18952018: 80.83 in
Driest year since 18951930: 31.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELKINS RANDOLPH CO AP (7 mi away)8.2

Homes

Housing units13,072
Median year built1977
Built before 198055%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$144,800
Single-family detached70%

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
Upshur County, WV 21 mi 5% 29%
Barbour County, WV 26 mi 2% 17%
Tucker County, WV 28 mi 0% 26%
Pendleton County, WV 29 mi 6% 10%
Pocahontas County, WV 32 mi 0% 7%
Highland County, VA 33 mi 1% 9%
Lewis County, WV 37 mi 29% 4%
Webster County, WV 38 mi 0% 20%

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