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Georgetown County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Georgetown County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties and the 9th highest of 46 South Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 12%.

94.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,458 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 26% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

12%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

87%

high water table: limits basements

95%

in drought, October 13, 2026

26%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Georgetown County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.4%
High water table (limits basements)87.4%
Septic fields very limited93.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)12.4%
Mapped soil560,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Bladen9%n/a
Yauhannah9%n/a
Wahee8%n/a
Bohicket8%n/a
Eulonia6%n/a
Yemassee6%n/a
Williamsburg County: 99%Horry County: 92%Berkeley County: 99%Marion County: 84%Florence County: 82%Clarendon County: 78%Charleston County: 81%Dillon County: 88%Georgetown County WilliamsburgHorryBerkeleyMarionFlorenceClarendonCharlestonDillonGeorgetown
Georgetown 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 SC043 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

On 87% of Georgetown 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: 35.39 in, 17.23 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.62 in.

USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

94.9% 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 38 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 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 worse94.9%
D2 severe or worse43.4%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1,458 flood losses since 2016, $41.9 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 651. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 21% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 71% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 18 in.

YearFlood losses
2016651
201728
201870
201946
202077
20215
2022503
202367
20245
20256
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202052.62 in
12 months to August 202635.39 in (-17.23)
202551.53 in (-1.09)
Wettest year since 18951964: 72.28 in
Driest year since 18951951: 32.75 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BROOKGREEN GARDENS (13 mi away)17.5

Homes

Housing units37,173
Median year built1993
Built before 198026%
Built 2000 or later35%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$289,500
Single-family detached62%

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
Williamsburg County, SC 28 mi 0% 99%
Horry County, SC 39 mi 5% 92%
Berkeley County, SC 41 mi 2% 99%
Marion County, SC 46 mi 0% 84%
Florence County, SC 48 mi 0% 82%
Clarendon County, SC 56 mi 0% 78%
Charleston County, SC 57 mi 0% 81%
Dillon County, SC 67 mi 0% 88%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status