Sinkhole risk in Mineral 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: 12%
At or near the surface: 12%
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 39 of Mineral County's 328 square miles on soluble rock, 39 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 26,778 residents (82 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 382 map points about 0.9 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Mineral County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Winchester city, VA, about 45 miles east. 5 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.

Hampshire County, WV 19 mi east · 8% at surface
Garrett County, MD 20 mi northwest · 8% at surface
Allegany County, MD 20 mi northeast · 24% at surface
Grant County, WV 24 mi southwest · 11% at surface
Hardy County, WV 28 mi south · 10% at surface
Tucker County, WV 38 mi southwest · 8% at surface

Which formation it is

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 5%.

Against the rest of West Virginia

Mineral County ranks 13 of 55 in West Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 69% of US counties on that measure.