HomeWest VirginiaWebster County

Webster County, West Virginia

A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Webster County's mapped land. 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 52 flood losses here since 2016. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

20%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

58%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Webster County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)20.5%
Septic fields very limited98.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil356,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Clifftop17%n/a
Laidig16%n/a
Highsplint15%n/a
Gilpin11%under 1%
Pineville11%n/a
Mandy6%n/a
Braxton County: 11%Nicholas County: 21%Pocahontas County: 7%Upshur County: 29%Clay County: 1%Lewis County: 4%Gilmer County: 5%Randolph County: 32%Webster County BraxtonNicholasPocahontasUpshurClayLewisGilmerRandolphWebster
Webster 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 WV101 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 20% of Webster 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: 49.79 in, 6.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.77 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 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 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

52 flood losses since 2016, $1.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 50.

YearFlood losses
201650
20170
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202056.77 in
12 months to August 202649.79 in (-6.98)
202551.63 in (-5.14)
Wettest year since 18952018: 77.29 in
Driest year since 18951930: 31.58 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HACKER VALLEY (10 mi away)13.3

Homes

Housing units4,388
Median year built1975
Built before 198058%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$76,100
Single-family detached74%

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
Braxton County, WV 21 mi 25% 11%
Nicholas County, WV 23 mi under 1% 21%
Pocahontas County, WV 26 mi 0% 7%
Upshur County, WV 31 mi 5% 29%
Clay County, WV 34 mi 8% 1%
Lewis County, WV 35 mi 29% 4%
Gilmer County, WV 37 mi 26% 5%
Randolph County, WV 38 mi 0% 32%

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