HomeWest VirginiaTyler County

Tyler County, West Virginia

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Tyler County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties and the 8th highest of 55 West Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 9%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

34%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

9%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

65%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Tyler County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)33.5%
High water table (limits basements)8.7%
Septic fields very limited95.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)33.5%
Mapped soil166,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Gilpin51%0%
Upshur30%99%
Sensabaugh6%n/a
Vandalia3%n/a
Otwell2%n/a
Hackers1%n/a
Wetzel County: 27%Doddridge County: 25%Pleasants County: 32%Monroe County: 27%Ritchie County: 44%Marshall County: 5%Harrison County: 10%Washington County: 40%Tyler County WetzelDoddridgePleasantsMonroeRitchieMarshallHarrisonWashingtonTyler
Tyler 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 WV612 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 49.83 in, 2.71 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 47.12 in.

USDA rates 95% 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 77.1% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 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

4 flood losses since 2016, $116,857 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20242
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.12 in
12 months to August 202649.83 in (+2.71)
202544.18 in (-2.94)
Wettest year since 18952018: 70.69 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.48 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MIDDLEBOURNE 3 ESE (1 mi away)10.3

Homes

Housing units4,110
Median year built1968
Built before 198065%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$121,300
Single-family detached81%

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
Wetzel County, WV 16 mi 27% 7%
Doddridge County, WV 16 mi 25% 7%
Pleasants County, WV 17 mi 32% 5%
Monroe County, OH 21 mi 27% 18%
Ritchie County, WV 22 mi 44% 10%
Marshall County, WV 29 mi 5% 48%
Harrison County, WV 29 mi 10% 19%
Washington County, OH 33 mi 40% 19%

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