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Wood County, West Virginia

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 45% of Wood County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 55 West Virginia counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 21%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 55 flood losses here since 2016, 13% of them in buildings with basements. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

45%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

21%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

66%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Wood County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)45.1%
High water table (limits basements)21.4%
Septic fields very limited89.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)37.3%
Mapped soil241,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Upshur29%99%
Gilpin21%0%
Peabody8%n/a
Vandalia7%n/a
Monongahela4%n/a
Tilsit4%n/a
Wirt County: 50%Washington County: 40%Pleasants County: 32%Ritchie County: 44%Jackson County: 47%Meigs County: 43%Athens County: 29%Morgan County: 35%Wood County WirtWashingtonPleasantsRitchieJacksonMeigsAthensMorganWood
Wood 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 4.8% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 45% of the mapped land.

On 21% of Wood 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: 46.18 in, 1.12 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 45.06 in.

USDA rates 89% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

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

55 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 31. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 13% basements, 29% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 55% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 24.5 in.

YearFlood losses
20162
20171
201831
20190
20202
20211
20221
20235
202412
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.06 in
12 months to August 202646.18 in (+1.12)
202546.69 in (+1.63)
Wettest year since 18952018: 61.53 in
Driest year since 18951930: 22.42 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PARKERSBURG (5 mi away)9.3

Homes

Housing units40,283
Median year built1970
Built before 198066%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$158,500
Single-family detached75%

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
Wirt County, WV 16 mi 50% 17%
Washington County, OH 16 mi 40% 19%
Pleasants County, WV 22 mi 32% 5%
Ritchie County, WV 24 mi 44% 10%
Jackson County, WV 28 mi 47% 9%
Meigs County, OH 29 mi 43% 21%
Athens County, OH 29 mi 29% 27%
Morgan County, OH 33 mi 35% 23%

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