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Darlington County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Darlington County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

66.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 46 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

83%

high water table: limits basements

66%

in drought, October 13, 2026

43%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Darlington County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)83.1%
Septic fields very limited78.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil362,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Noboco14%n/a
Norfolk10%63%
Goldsboro9%n/a
Rains9%n/a
Coxville8%n/a
Johnston6%n/a
Lee County: 63%Chesterfield County: 43%Marlboro County: 83%Florence County: 82%Dillon County: 88%Kershaw County: 29%Sumter County: 63%Marion County: 84%Darlington County LeeChesterfieldMarlboroFlorenceDillonKershawSumterMarionDarlington
Darlington 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 SC031 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 83% of Darlington 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: 34.13 in, 13.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.25 in.

USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

66.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 37 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 worse66.3%
D2 severe or worse43.5%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

46 flood losses since 2016, $845,101 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 26. Median water depth outside the building: 20 in.

YearFlood losses
201612
20172
201826
20190
20205
20211
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.25 in
12 months to August 202634.13 in (-13.12)
202540.49 in (-6.76)
Wettest year since 18951928: 66.81 in
Driest year since 18952001: 30.36 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DARLINGTON (5 mi away)15.1

Homes

Housing units29,763
Median year built1984
Built before 198043%
Built 2000 or later20%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$158,200
Single-family detached63%

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
Lee County, SC 20 mi 0% 63%
Chesterfield County, SC 24 mi 0% 43%
Marlboro County, SC 25 mi 0% 83%
Florence County, SC 25 mi 0% 82%
Dillon County, SC 34 mi 0% 88%
Kershaw County, SC 36 mi under 1% 29%
Sumter County, SC 37 mi 0% 63%
Marion County, SC 39 mi 0% 84%

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