HomeSouth CarolinaAbbeville County

Abbeville County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 22% of Abbeville County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.

29.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

22%

high water table: limits basements

29%

in drought, October 13, 2026

50%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Abbeville County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.4%
High water table (limits basements)21.5%
Septic fields very limited53.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)6.3%
Mapped soil327,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Cecil28%0%
Pacolet16%0%
Cataula12%n/a
Hiwassee8%n/a
Mecklenburg8%n/a
Toccoa4%n/a
Greenwood County: 17%Anderson County: 11%Elbert County: 19%McCormick County: 19%Lincoln County: 10%Hart County: 6%Laurens County: 19%Wilkes County: 10%Abbeville County GreenwoodAndersonElbertMcCormickLincolnHartLaurensWilkesAbbeville
Abbeville County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas SC001 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 22% of Abbeville 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: 36.47 in, 10.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.87 in.

USDA rates 53% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

29.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse29.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $27,581 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.87 in
12 months to August 202636.47 in (-10.40)
202544.59 in (-2.28)
Wettest year since 18951929: 77.34 in
Driest year since 18952016: 29.55 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CALHOUN FALLS (12 mi away)13.6

Homes

Housing units11,806
Median year built1980
Built before 198050%
Built 2000 or later18%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$178,800
Single-family detached67%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Greenwood County, SC 19 mi 11% 17%
Anderson County, SC 23 mi under 1% 11%
Elbert County, GA 23 mi 12% 19%
McCormick County, SC 24 mi 9% 19%
Lincoln County, GA 30 mi 8% 10%
Hart County, GA 30 mi 0% 6%
Laurens County, SC 31 mi 7% 19%
Wilkes County, GA 35 mi 6% 10%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status