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Berkeley County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 99% of Berkeley County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the highest of 46 South Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

77.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 249 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 19% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2002.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

99%

high water table: limits basements

77%

in drought, October 13, 2026

19%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Berkeley County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.9%
High water table (limits basements)98.7%
Septic fields very limited98.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.5%
Mapped soil704,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Meggett13%n/a
Eulonia11%n/a
Goldsboro10%n/a
Wahee9%n/a
Coxville8%n/a
Bonneau7%n/a
Dorchester County: 95%Charleston County: 81%Williamsburg County: 99%Clarendon County: 78%Georgetown County: 87%Colleton County: 92%Orangeburg County: 77%Sumter County: 63%Berkeley County DorchesterCharlestonWilliamsburgClarendonGeorgetownColletonOrangeburgSumterBerkeley
Berkeley 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 SC015 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

On 99% of Berkeley 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: 33.33 in, 17.03 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.36 in.

USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

77.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 38 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 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 worse77.4%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

249 flood losses since 2016, $5.4 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 110. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 30% slabs, 42% crawl spaces, 28% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.

YearFlood losses
2016110
201741
201810
20193
20206
202126
20225
20236
202440
20251
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.36 in
12 months to August 202633.33 in (-17.03)
202543.59 in (-6.77)
Wettest year since 18951964: 70.93 in
Driest year since 18951954: 28.03 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHARLESTON INTL AP (22 mi away)15.7

Homes

Housing units100,600
Median year built2002
Built before 198019%
Built 2000 or later54%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$310,300
Single-family detached66%

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
Dorchester County, SC 28 mi 0% 95%
Charleston County, SC 28 mi 0% 81%
Williamsburg County, SC 32 mi 0% 99%
Clarendon County, SC 35 mi 0% 78%
Georgetown County, SC 41 mi 12% 87%
Colleton County, SC 48 mi 5% 92%
Orangeburg County, SC 52 mi 0% 77%
Sumter County, SC 55 mi 0% 63%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status