HomeSouth CarolinaDillon County

Dillon County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Dillon County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 8th highest of 46 South Carolina 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 95 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 44% 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

88%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

44%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Dillon County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)88.1%
Septic fields very limited97.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil260,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Coxville12%n/a
Dothan10%over 99%
Persanti7%n/a
Rutlege6%n/a
Lakeland6%0%
Smithboro6%n/a
Marion County: 84%Marlboro County: 83%Robeson County: 85%Florence County: 82%Scotland County: 69%Darlington County: 83%Horry County: 92%Columbus County: 95%Dillon County MarionMarlboroRobesonFlorenceScotlandDarlingtonHorryColumbusDillon
Dillon 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 SC033 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 88% of Dillon 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: 35.13 in, 12.60 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.73 in.

USDA rates 98% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 40 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 worse100%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

95 flood losses since 2016, $4.8 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 54. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 20% slabs, 60% crawl spaces, 20% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 22.5 in.

YearFlood losses
201628
20170
201854
20192
20202
20211
20221
20231
20246
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.73 in
12 months to August 202635.13 in (-12.60)
202541.58 in (-6.15)
Wettest year since 18952020: 66.78 in
Driest year since 18952001: 29.25 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DILLON (2 mi away)14.1

Homes

Housing units12,914
Median year built1984
Built before 198044%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied65%
Median value, owner-occupied$85,400
Single-family detached54%

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
Marion County, SC 21 mi 0% 84%
Marlboro County, SC 23 mi 0% 83%
Robeson County, NC 23 mi under 1% 85%
Florence County, SC 32 mi 0% 82%
Scotland County, NC 32 mi 0% 69%
Darlington County, SC 34 mi 0% 83%
Horry County, SC 40 mi 5% 92%
Columbus County, NC 43 mi 6% 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