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Hampton County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 99% of Hampton County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 46 South Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

86% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 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

99%

high water table: limits basements

86%

in drought, October 13, 2026

44%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Hampton County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)98.6%
Septic fields very limited85.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil360,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rains11%n/a
Goldsboro7%n/a
Bonneau7%n/a
Blanton6%n/a
Ocilla6%n/a
Norfolk5%63%
Allendale County: 80%Jasper County: 91%Screven County: 70%Colleton County: 92%Bamberg County: 85%Effingham County: 92%Barnwell County: 65%Beaufort County: 77%Hampton County AllendaleJasperScrevenColletonBambergEffinghamBarnwellBeaufortHampton
Hampton 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 SC049 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

On 99% of Hampton 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: 27.91 in, 20.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.31 in.

USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

86% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 45 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 worse86%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

11 flood losses since 2016, $209,174 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20164
20171
20180
20190
20201
20210
20220
20235
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.31 in
12 months to August 202627.91 in (-20.40)
202542.13 in (-6.18)
Wettest year since 18951964: 67.36 in
Driest year since 18951931: 27.38 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at YEMASSEE 1 N (18 mi away)16.6

Homes

Housing units8,645
Median year built1984
Built before 198044%
Built 2000 or later18%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$112,000
Single-family detached56%

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
Allendale County, SC 19 mi 0% 80%
Jasper County, SC 25 mi 8% 91%
Screven County, GA 28 mi 0% 70%
Colleton County, SC 29 mi 5% 92%
Bamberg County, SC 30 mi 2% 85%
Effingham County, GA 31 mi 2% 92%
Barnwell County, SC 37 mi 0% 65%
Beaufort County, SC 40 mi 32% 77%

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