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Upshur County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 29% of Upshur County's mapped land and the 3rd highest of 55 West Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 40 flood losses here since 2016, 45% of them in buildings with basements. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

29%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

52%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Upshur County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.1%
High water table (limits basements)29.2%
Septic fields very limited98.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.1%
Mapped soil227,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin37%under 1%
Highsplint13%n/a
Buchanan11%n/a
Ernest9%n/a
Upshur5%0%
Laidig5%n/a
Lewis County: 4%Barbour County: 17%Randolph County: 32%Harrison County: 19%Braxton County: 11%Webster County: 20%Taylor County: 28%Gilmer County: 5%Upshur County LewisBarbourRandolphHarrisonBraxtonWebsterTaylorGilmerUpshur
Upshur 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 WV097 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 29% of Upshur 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: 51.67 in, 0.78 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.45 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 13 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

40 flood losses since 2016, $443,327 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 35. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 45% basements, 8% slabs, 39% crawl spaces, 8% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20222
20230
20240
20253
2026 to date35

Rain

Average year, 1991-202052.45 in
12 months to August 202651.67 in (-0.78)
202549.73 in (-2.72)
Wettest year since 18952018: 73.20 in
Driest year since 18951930: 29.50 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROCK CAVE 2 NE (5 mi away)12.6

Homes

Housing units11,281
Median year built1979
Built before 198052%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$170,800
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
Lewis County, WV 15 mi 29% 4%
Barbour County, WV 21 mi 2% 17%
Randolph County, WV 21 mi 0% 32%
Harrison County, WV 27 mi 10% 19%
Braxton County, WV 30 mi 25% 11%
Webster County, WV 31 mi 0% 20%
Taylor County, WV 31 mi 1% 28%
Gilmer County, WV 33 mi 26% 5%

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