HomeSouth CarolinaChester County

Chester County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Chester County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.

27.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 35.1% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

19%

high water table: limits basements

27%

in drought, October 13, 2026

51%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Chester County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.3%
High water table (limits basements)18.9%
Septic fields very limited64.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)14.9%
Mapped soil374,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Wilkes19%n/a
Cecil15%0%
Madison14%0%
Pacolet10%0%
Winnsboro7%n/a
Iredell6%n/a
York County: 23%Fairfield County: 15%Union County: 17%Lancaster County: 21%Cherokee County: 5%Newberry County: 28%Kershaw County: 29%Union County: 28%Chester County YorkFairfieldUnionLancasterCherokeeNewberryKershawUnionChester
Chester 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 SC023 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 19% of Chester 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: 31.14 in, 12.50 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.64 in.

USDA rates 65% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

27.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse75%
D1 moderate drought or worse27.3%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $31,846 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20241
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202043.64 in
12 months to August 202631.14 in (-12.50)
202537.66 in (-5.98)
Wettest year since 18951929: 68.62 in
Driest year since 18952007: 29.48 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHESTER 1 SE (2 mi away)13.3

Homes

Housing units14,807
Median year built1980
Built before 198051%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$158,300
Single-family detached72%

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
York County, SC 19 mi 23% 23%
Fairfield County, SC 20 mi 1% 15%
Union County, SC 26 mi 8% 17%
Lancaster County, SC 26 mi 2% 21%
Cherokee County, SC 35 mi 1% 5%
Newberry County, SC 37 mi 13% 28%
Kershaw County, SC 41 mi under 1% 29%
Union County, NC 41 mi 3% 28%

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