HomeWest VirginiaRitchie County

Ritchie County, West Virginia

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 44% of Ritchie County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties and the 4th highest of 55 West Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 10%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

44%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

10%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

59%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Ritchie County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)44.0%
High water table (limits basements)10.1%
Septic fields very limited98.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)44.0%
Mapped soil290,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Gilpin43%0%
Upshur42%99%
Sensabaugh4%n/a
Vandalia3%n/a
Moshannon2%n/a
Monongahela2%n/a
Pleasants County: 32%Doddridge County: 25%Wirt County: 50%Gilmer County: 26%Tyler County: 34%Calhoun County: 34%Wood County: 45%Washington County: 40%Ritchie County PleasantsDoddridgeWirtGilmerTylerCalhounWoodWashingtonRitchie
Ritchie 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 WV085 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 44% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 44% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.76 in, 1.27 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 47.49 in.

USDA rates 99% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 74.1% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 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

2 flood losses since 2016, $46,893 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.49 in
12 months to August 202648.76 in (+1.27)
202543.94 in (-3.55)
Wettest year since 18952018: 66.80 in
Driest year since 18951930: 24.10 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W UNION 2 (18 mi away)10.5

Homes

Housing units4,176
Median year built1975
Built before 198059%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$115,900
Single-family detached71%

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
Pleasants County, WV 14 mi 32% 5%
Doddridge County, WV 20 mi 25% 7%
Wirt County, WV 20 mi 50% 17%
Gilmer County, WV 21 mi 26% 5%
Tyler County, WV 22 mi 34% 9%
Calhoun County, WV 23 mi 34% 5%
Wood County, WV 24 mi 45% 21%
Washington County, OH 30 mi 40% 19%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status