HomeWest VirginiaWayne County

Wayne County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Wayne County's mapped land and the 5th highest of 55 West Virginia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17%.

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, 23% of them in buildings with basements. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

17%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

58%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Wayne County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)16.7%
High water table (limits basements)28.0%
Septic fields very limited94.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)16.7%
Mapped soil327,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin21%under 1%
Dekalb21%n/a
Latham10%n/a
Dormont7%n/a
Upshur6%0%
Beech6%n/a
Lawrence County: 14%Lincoln County: 4%Boyd County: 25%Cabell County: 11%Martin County: 1%Johnson County: 1%Lawrence County: 11%Mingo County: 0%Wayne County LawrenceLincolnBoydCabellMartinJohnsonLawrenceMingoWayne
Wayne 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 WV099 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.8% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.

On 28% of Wayne 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: 43.06 in, 4.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.69 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 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 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

40 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 14. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 23% basements, 10% slabs, 45% crawl spaces, 23% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20163
20170
20181
20192
20202
202114
20221
20236
20242
20259
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.69 in
12 months to August 202643.06 in (-4.63)
202550.46 in (+2.77)
Wettest year since 18952018: 61.52 in
Driest year since 18951930: 24.29 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DUNLOW 1 SW (13 mi away)10.6

Homes

Housing units18,263
Median year built1976
Built before 198058%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied79%
Median value, owner-occupied$127,100
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
Lawrence County, KY 18 mi 17% 14%
Lincoln County, WV 19 mi 10% 4%
Boyd County, KY 21 mi 40% 25%
Cabell County, WV 21 mi 21% 11%
Martin County, KY 24 mi 0% 1%
Johnson County, KY 31 mi 0% 1%
Lawrence County, OH 32 mi 29% 11%
Mingo County, WV 33 mi 0% under 1%

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