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Fairfield County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 15% of Fairfield County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

39.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 37 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

15%

high water table: limits basements

39%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Fairfield County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.4%
High water table (limits basements)15.5%
Septic fields very limited64.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.9%
Mapped soil447,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Wilkes17%n/a
Cecil11%0%
Winnsboro9%n/a
Pacolet9%0%
Georgeville8%0%
Cataula7%n/a
Chester County: 19%Newberry County: 28%Richland County: 47%Kershaw County: 29%Lancaster County: 21%Union County: 17%Lexington County: 24%York County: 23%Fairfield County ChesterNewberryRichlandKershawLancasterUnionLexingtonYorkFairfield
Fairfield 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 SC039 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 15% of Fairfield 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: 35.00 in, 9.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.09 in.

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

Drought

39.4% 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 24 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 worse96.9%
D1 moderate drought or worse39.4%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

37 flood losses since 2016, $549,917 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 20. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% slabs, 27% crawl spaces, 63% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 31 in.

YearFlood losses
20164
20170
20180
20190
202013
20210
20220
20230
202420
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.09 in
12 months to August 202635.00 in (-9.09)
202541.48 in (-2.61)
Wettest year since 18951929: 70.53 in
Driest year since 18951954: 30.62 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINNSBORO (3 mi away)13.7

Homes

Housing units11,003
Median year built1984
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$151,200
Single-family detached69%

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
Chester County, SC 20 mi 7% 19%
Newberry County, SC 28 mi 13% 28%
Richland County, SC 28 mi 0% 47%
Kershaw County, SC 31 mi under 1% 29%
Lancaster County, SC 31 mi 2% 21%
Union County, SC 34 mi 8% 17%
Lexington County, SC 36 mi 2% 24%
York County, SC 40 mi 23% 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