HomeSouth CarolinaHorry County

Horry County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Horry County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 6th highest of 46 South Carolina counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3,713 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 16% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1999.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

92%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

16%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Horry County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.3%
High water table (limits basements)92.3%
Septic fields very limited97.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.3%
Mapped soil732,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Johnston7%n/a
Woodington6%n/a
Pocomoke5%n/a
Ogeechee5%n/a
Kenansville5%n/a
Leon5%n/a
Marion County: 84%Columbus County: 95%Georgetown County: 87%Dillon County: 88%Florence County: 82%Brunswick County: 89%Williamsburg County: 99%Robeson County: 85%Horry County MarionColumbusGeorgetownDillonFlorenceBrunswickWilliamsburgRobesonHorry
Horry 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 SC051 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

On 92% of Horry 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: 34.00 in, 17.31 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.31 in.

USDA rates 98% 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

3,713 flood losses since 2016, $172.9 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 1,443. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 32% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 55% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 24 in.

YearFlood losses
20161,443
201719
20181,041
201952
2020360
2021107
2022540
202395
202445
20259
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.31 in
12 months to August 202634.00 in (-17.31)
202550.34 in (-0.97)
Wettest year since 18951964: 71.04 in
Driest year since 18952007: 32.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LONGWOOD (26 mi away)16

Homes

Housing units217,419
Median year built1999
Built before 198016%
Built 2000 or later49%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$287,700
Single-family detached53%

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 25 mi 0% 84%
Columbus County, NC 31 mi 6% 95%
Georgetown County, SC 39 mi 12% 87%
Dillon County, SC 40 mi 0% 88%
Florence County, SC 43 mi 0% 82%
Brunswick County, NC 44 mi 3% 89%
Williamsburg County, SC 47 mi 0% 99%
Robeson County, NC 51 mi under 1% 85%

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