HomeSouth CarolinaAiken County

Aiken County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Aiken County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

15.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 18% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

32%

high water table: limits basements

15%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Aiken County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.2%
High water table (limits basements)31.6%
Septic fields very limited63.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.2%
Mapped soil700,162 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Troup24%0%
Lakeland14%0%
Vaucluse13%n/a
Fuquay11%n/a
Ailey6%n/a
Dothan5%over 99%
Barnwell County: 65%Edgefield County: 18%Richmond County: 26%Lexington County: 24%Saluda County: 19%Columbia County: 12%Burke County: 53%Bamberg County: 85%Aiken County BarnwellEdgefieldRichmondLexingtonSaludaColumbiaBurkeBambergAiken
Aiken 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 SC615 (2025-08-29), SC696 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 32% of Aiken 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: 30.71 in, 16.74 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.45 in.

USDA rates 64% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

15.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse42.5%
D1 moderate drought or worse15.1%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

18 flood losses since 2016, $83,686 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20162
20174
20183
20191
20200
20211
20220
20230
20247
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.45 in
12 months to August 202630.71 in (-16.74)
202543.46 in (-3.99)
Wettest year since 18951964: 71.06 in
Driest year since 18951931: 26.88 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JOHNSTON 4 SW (20 mi away)14.1

Homes

Housing units80,008
Median year built1989
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later33%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$218,000
Single-family detached68%

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
Barnwell County, SC 23 mi 0% 65%
Edgefield County, SC 25 mi 3% 18%
Richmond County, GA 29 mi 1% 26%
Lexington County, SC 31 mi 2% 24%
Saluda County, SC 32 mi 7% 19%
Columbia County, GA 35 mi 7% 12%
Burke County, GA 40 mi under 1% 53%
Bamberg County, SC 41 mi 2% 85%

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