Sinkhole risk in Hampshire County, WV: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 8%
At or near the surface: 8%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 53 of Hampshire County's 640 square miles on soluble rock, 53 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 23,793 residents (37 per square mile), much of the land is open, and the mapped rock may sit far from where people actually live. The figures come from 240 map points about 1.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Two things to read before deciding: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Hampshire County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Winchester city, VA, about 25 miles east, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 3 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Mineral County, WV 19 mi west · 12% at surface
Frederick County, VA 20 mi east · 30% at surface
Allegany County, MD 21 mi north · 24% at surface
Hardy County, WV 24 mi southwest · 10% at surface
Winchester city, VA 25 mi east · 90% at surface
Morgan County, WV 25 mi northeast · 7% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Tonoloway, Wills Creek, and Williamsport Formations (limestone), Silurian in age, covering about 5% of the county. Next is the Helderberg Group at 2%.

Against the rest of West Virginia

Hampshire County ranks 17 of 55 in West Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 66% of US counties on that measure.