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Anderson County, South Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Anderson County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 65.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 90.8% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

11%

high water table: limits basements

66%

in drought, October 13, 2026

40%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Anderson County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.3%
High water table (limits basements)11.3%
Septic fields very limited25.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.3%
Urban land, not rated1.7%
Mapped soil483,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Cecil43%0%
Madison16%0%
Hiwassee10%n/a
Cataula6%n/a
Pacolet5%0%
Appling3%0%
Hart County: 0%Abbeville County: 5%Pickens County: 0%Oconee County: 0%Greenville County: 0%Elbert County: 12%Franklin County: 0%Laurens County: 7%Anderson County HartAbbevillePickensOconeeGreenvilleElbertFranklinLaurensAnderson
Anderson County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas SC007 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 33.02 in, 15.46 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.48 in.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Anderson County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

65.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 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 worse65.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

17 flood losses since 2016, $524,429 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 6.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20180
20190
20206
20212
20220
20232
20245
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.48 in
12 months to August 202633.02 in (-15.46)
202541.18 in (-7.30)
Wettest year since 18951901: 71.40 in
Driest year since 18952016: 29.52 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ANDERSON (1 mi away)16.1

Homes

Housing units92,319
Median year built1988
Built before 198040%
Built 2000 or later29%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$231,900
Single-family detached72%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Hart County, GA 22 mi 0% 6%
Abbeville County, SC 23 mi 5% 22%
Pickens County, SC 26 mi under 1% 7%
Oconee County, SC 29 mi under 1% 5%
Greenville County, SC 30 mi under 1% 11%
Elbert County, GA 30 mi 12% 19%
Franklin County, GA 35 mi under 1% 10%
Laurens County, SC 36 mi 7% 19%

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