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Greenwood County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Greenwood County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.

1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 24 flood losses here since 2016, 17% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

11%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

17%

high water table: limits basements

1%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Greenwood County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.6%
High water table (limits basements)16.8%
Septic fields very limited46.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)11.0%
Mapped soil296,100 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Cecil24%0%
Hiwassee9%n/a
Georgeville8%0%
Enon8%n/a
Pacolet7%0%
Mecklenburg5%n/a
Abbeville County: 22%McCormick County: 19%Laurens County: 19%Saluda County: 19%Edgefield County: 18%Lincoln County: 10%Newberry County: 28%Anderson County: 11%Greenwood County AbbevilleMcCormickLaurensSaludaEdgefieldLincolnNewberryAndersonGreenwood
Greenwood 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 SC047 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 17% of Greenwood 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: 38.09 in, 7.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.51 in.

Drought

1% 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 25 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse41.8%
D1 moderate drought or worse1%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

24 flood losses since 2016, $455,242 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 16. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 17% basements, 46% slabs, 21% crawl spaces, 17% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
202416
20256
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.51 in
12 months to August 202638.09 in (-7.42)
202543.80 in (-1.71)
Wettest year since 18951929: 79.59 in
Driest year since 18951954: 29.70 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARE SHOALS 2 (19 mi away)13.3

Homes

Housing units31,702
Median year built1977
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later18%
Owner-occupied67%
Median value, owner-occupied$180,500
Single-family detached68%

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
Abbeville County, SC 19 mi 5% 22%
McCormick County, SC 21 mi 9% 19%
Laurens County, SC 24 mi 7% 19%
Saluda County, SC 25 mi 7% 19%
Edgefield County, SC 28 mi 3% 18%
Lincoln County, GA 31 mi 8% 10%
Newberry County, SC 32 mi 13% 28%
Anderson County, SC 39 mi under 1% 11%

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