HomeSouth CarolinaClarendon County

Clarendon County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 78% of Clarendon County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

78%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

29%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Clarendon County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)78.3%
Septic fields very limited87.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil445,800 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Lynchburg12%n/a
Fuquay11%n/a
Dothan9%over 99%
Rains9%n/a
Paxville8%n/a
Clarendon6%n/a
Sumter County: 63%Williamsburg County: 99%Calhoun County: 36%Lee County: 63%Berkeley County: 99%Orangeburg County: 77%Florence County: 82%Dorchester County: 95%Clarendon County SumterWilliamsburgCalhounLeeBerkeleyOrangeburgFlorenceDorchesterClarendon
Clarendon 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 SC027 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 78% of Clarendon 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: 38.21 in, 10.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.86 in.

USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% 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 36 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse70.4%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

19 flood losses since 2016, $250,602 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 12.

YearFlood losses
201612
20171
20182
20190
20202
20210
20220
20231
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.86 in
12 months to August 202638.21 in (-10.65)
202544.57 in (-4.29)
Wettest year since 18951964: 71.41 in
Driest year since 18951954: 27.77 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MANNING (3 mi away)14.4

Homes

Housing units16,089
Median year built1990
Built before 198029%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$158,000
Single-family detached58%

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
Sumter County, SC 20 mi 0% 63%
Williamsburg County, SC 29 mi 0% 99%
Calhoun County, SC 32 mi 0% 36%
Lee County, SC 34 mi 0% 63%
Berkeley County, SC 35 mi 2% 99%
Orangeburg County, SC 37 mi 0% 77%
Florence County, SC 38 mi 0% 82%
Dorchester County, SC 42 mi 0% 95%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status