HomeWest VirginiaWirt County

Wirt County, West Virginia

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 50% of Wirt County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties and the highest of 55 West Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 17%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

50%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

17%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Wirt County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)50.4%
High water table (limits basements)17.4%
Septic fields very limited97.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)34.6%
Mapped soil150,500 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Gilpin30%0%
Upshur28%99%
Peabody16%n/a
Vandalia7%n/a
Monongahela3%n/a
Tilsit3%n/a
Wood County: 45%Calhoun County: 34%Roane County: 36%Ritchie County: 44%Jackson County: 47%Pleasants County: 32%Gilmer County: 26%Washington County: 40%Wirt County WoodCalhounRoaneRitchieJacksonPleasantsGilmerWashingtonWirt
Wirt 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 WV601 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 50% of the mapped land.

On 17% of Wirt 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: 45.87 in, 0.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.78 in.

USDA rates 98% 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 75.4% of its area, in 2 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

1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.78 in
12 months to August 202645.87 in (-0.91)
202546.88 in (+0.10)
Wettest year since 18952018: 62.43 in
Driest year since 18951930: 23.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SPENCER (15 mi away)10.1

Homes

Housing units2,725
Median year built1985
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied88%
Median value, owner-occupied$115,800
Single-family detached70%

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
Wood County, WV 16 mi 45% 21%
Calhoun County, WV 19 mi 34% 5%
Roane County, WV 19 mi 36% 6%
Ritchie County, WV 20 mi 44% 10%
Jackson County, WV 20 mi 47% 9%
Pleasants County, WV 27 mi 32% 5%
Gilmer County, WV 30 mi 26% 5%
Washington County, OH 30 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