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Florence County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 82% of Florence County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% 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 201 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 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

82%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Florence County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)82.0%
Septic fields very limited81.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil515,100 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Coxville15%n/a
Lynchburg14%n/a
Goldsboro10%n/a
Norfolk8%63%
Wagram6%n/a
Lakeland5%0%
Marion County: 84%Darlington County: 83%Williamsburg County: 99%Dillon County: 88%Lee County: 63%Clarendon County: 78%Sumter County: 63%Marlboro County: 83%Florence County MarionDarlingtonWilliamsburgDillonLeeClarendonSumterMarlboroFlorence
Florence 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 SC041 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 82% of Florence 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: 37.83 in, 10.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.22 in.

USDA rates 81% 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 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

201 flood losses since 2016, $4.4 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 137. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 23% slabs, 47% crawl spaces, 27% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.

YearFlood losses
2016137
20172
201828
20190
20207
202112
20220
20239
20246
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.22 in
12 months to August 202637.83 in (-10.39)
202544.87 in (-3.35)
Wettest year since 18951928: 71.61 in
Driest year since 18951954: 31.78 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FLORENCE RGNL AP (11 mi away)12.3

Homes

Housing units62,090
Median year built1986
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied65%
Median value, owner-occupied$177,900
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
Marion County, SC 21 mi 0% 84%
Darlington County, SC 25 mi 0% 83%
Williamsburg County, SC 28 mi 0% 99%
Dillon County, SC 32 mi 0% 88%
Lee County, SC 32 mi 0% 63%
Clarendon County, SC 38 mi 0% 78%
Sumter County, SC 39 mi 0% 63%
Marlboro County, SC 40 mi 0% 83%

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