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South Carolina soil by county

Across South Carolina's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4% and a shallow water table limits basements on 54%.

Highest clay shares: Beaufort County (32%), York County (23%), Newberry County (13%), Georgetown County (12%), Greenwood County (11%). Highest water-table shares: Berkeley County (99%), Hampton County (99%), Williamsburg County (99%), Dorchester County (95%), Colleton County (92%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 46 counties

Abbeville County: 5%Aiken County: 0%Allendale County: 0%Anderson County: 0%Bamberg County: 2%Barnwell County: 0%Beaufort County: 32%Berkeley County: 2%Calhoun County: 0%Charleston County: 0%Cherokee County: 1%Chester County: 7%Chesterfield County: 0%Clarendon County: 0%Colleton County: 5%Darlington County: 0%Dillon County: 0%Dorchester County: 0%Edgefield County: 3%Fairfield County: 1%Florence County: 0%Georgetown County: 12%Greenville County: 0%Greenwood County: 11%Hampton County: 0%Horry County: 5%Jasper County: 8%Kershaw County: 0%Lancaster County: 2%Laurens County: 7%Lee County: 0%Lexington County: 2%Marion County: 0%Marlboro County: 0%McCormick County: 9%Newberry County: 13%Oconee County: 0%Orangeburg County: 0%Pickens County: 0%Richland County: 0%Saluda County: 7%Spartanburg County: 1%Sumter County: 0%Union County: 8%Williamsburg County: 0%York County: 23%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Abbeville County: 22%Aiken County: 32%Allendale County: 80%Anderson County: 11%Bamberg County: 85%Barnwell County: 65%Beaufort County: 77%Berkeley County: 99%Calhoun County: 36%Charleston County: 81%Cherokee County: 5%Chester County: 19%Chesterfield County: 43%Clarendon County: 78%Colleton County: 92%Darlington County: 83%Dillon County: 88%Dorchester County: 95%Edgefield County: 18%Fairfield County: 15%Florence County: 82%Georgetown County: 87%Greenville County: 11%Greenwood County: 17%Hampton County: 99%Horry County: 92%Jasper County: 91%Kershaw County: 29%Lancaster County: 21%Laurens County: 19%Lee County: 63%Lexington County: 24%Marion County: 84%Marlboro County: 83%McCormick County: 19%Newberry County: 28%Oconee County: 5%Orangeburg County: 77%Pickens County: 7%Richland County: 47%Saluda County: 19%Spartanburg County: 10%Sumter County: 63%Union County: 17%Williamsburg County: 99%York County: 23%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in South Carolina

Select a column heading to sort.
Abbeville County 5% 22% 100% 2 1980
Aiken County under 1% 32% 18% 18 1989
Allendale County 0% 80% 92% 3 1977
Anderson County under 1% 11% 100% 17 1988
Bamberg County 2% 85% 100% 17 1978
Barnwell County 0% 65% 60% 2 1983
Beaufort County 32% 77% 44% 3,613 1999
Berkeley County 2% 99% 100% 249 2002
Calhoun County 0% 36% 100% 1 1988
Charleston County 0% 81% 100% 3,957 1991
Cherokee County 1% 5% 0% 1 1984
Chester County 7% 19% 77% 2 1980
Chesterfield County 0% 43% 100% 8 1986
Clarendon County 0% 78% 100% 19 1990
Colleton County 5% 92% 100% 452 1987
Darlington County 0% 83% 100% 46 1984
Dillon County 0% 88% 100% 95 1984
Dorchester County 0% 95% 100% 250 2000
Edgefield County 3% 18% 0% 6 1988
Fairfield County 1% 15% 96% 37 1984
Florence County 0% 82% 100% 201 1986
Georgetown County 12% 87% 100% 1,458 1993
Greenville County under 1% 11% 92% 275 1992
Greenwood County 11% 17% 31% 24 1977
Hampton County 0% 99% 100% 11 1984
Horry County 5% 92% 100% 3,713 1999
Jasper County 8% 91% 88% 80 2003
Kershaw County under 1% 29% 100% 64 1993
Lancaster County 2% 21% 100% 15 2000
Laurens County 7% 19% 56% 11 1985
Lee County 0% 63% 100% 7 1983
Lexington County 2% 24% 94% 80 1993
Marion County 0% 84% 100% 411 1982
Marlboro County 0% 83% 100% 21 1977
McCormick County 9% 19% 61% 2 1987
Newberry County 13% 28% 12% 6 1981
Oconee County under 1% 5% 13% 11 1990
Orangeburg County 0% 77% 100% 51 1983
Pickens County under 1% 7% 98% 22 1989
Richland County 0% 47% 100% 118 1989
Saluda County 7% 19% 0% 2 1987
Spartanburg County 1% 10% 48% 65 1990
Sumter County 0% 63% 100% 77 1987
Union County 8% 17% 10% 0 1972
Williamsburg County 0% 99% 100% 44 1985
York County 23% 23% 32% 27 2000

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.