HomeSouth CarolinaChesterfield County

Chesterfield County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 43% of Chesterfield County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

43%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Chesterfield County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)43.0%
Septic fields very limited82.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil516,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Ailey17%n/a
Alpin16%n/a
Badin10%n/a
Candor10%n/a
Johnston6%n/a
Pelion5%n/a
Anson County: 37%Darlington County: 83%Marlboro County: 83%Lancaster County: 21%Kershaw County: 29%Union County: 28%Lee County: 63%Richmond County: 23%Chesterfield County AnsonDarlingtonMarlboroLancasterKershawUnionLeeRichmondChesterfield
Chesterfield 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 SC025 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 43% of Chesterfield 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: 33.23 in, 13.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.94 in.

USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 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 worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

8 flood losses since 2016, $154,951 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20187
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.94 in
12 months to August 202633.23 in (-13.71)
202537.70 in (-9.24)
Wettest year since 18952018: 64.29 in
Driest year since 18952001: 30.17 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHERAW (16 mi away)13.8

Homes

Housing units20,843
Median year built1986
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$116,200
Single-family detached55%

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
Anson County, NC 24 mi 15% 37%
Darlington County, SC 24 mi 0% 83%
Marlboro County, SC 27 mi 0% 83%
Lancaster County, SC 31 mi 2% 21%
Kershaw County, SC 32 mi under 1% 29%
Union County, NC 32 mi 3% 28%
Lee County, SC 33 mi 0% 63%
Richmond County, NC 34 mi 5% 23%

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