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Kershaw County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 29% of Kershaw County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

35.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 64 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

29%

high water table: limits basements

35%

in drought, October 13, 2026

31%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Kershaw County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.5%
High water table (limits basements)28.6%
Septic fields very limited69.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.5%
Mapped soil473,100 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Lakeland17%0%
Blanton9%n/a
Ailey7%n/a
Pelion7%n/a
Madison6%0%
Wagram5%n/a
Lee County: 63%Lancaster County: 21%Richland County: 47%Fairfield County: 15%Sumter County: 63%Chesterfield County: 43%Darlington County: 83%Chester County: 19%Kershaw County LeeLancasterRichlandFairfieldSumterChesterfieldDarlingtonChesterKershaw
Kershaw 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 SC610 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 29% of Kershaw 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: 32.93 in, 11.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.02 in.

USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

35.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 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 worse35.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

64 flood losses since 2016, $646,535 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 34. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 6% slabs, 11% crawl spaces, 83% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 28.5 in.

YearFlood losses
20164
20170
20181
20191
202022
20211
20220
20231
202434
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.02 in
12 months to August 202632.93 in (-11.09)
202540.26 in (-3.76)
Wettest year since 18951929: 67.97 in
Driest year since 18952001: 28.33 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SANDHILL RSCH - ELGIN (21 mi away)13.3

Homes

Housing units30,134
Median year built1993
Built before 198031%
Built 2000 or later36%
Owner-occupied82%
Median value, owner-occupied$217,100
Single-family detached75%

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
Lee County, SC 23 mi 0% 63%
Lancaster County, SC 25 mi 2% 21%
Richland County, SC 28 mi 0% 47%
Fairfield County, SC 31 mi 1% 15%
Sumter County, SC 32 mi 0% 63%
Chesterfield County, SC 32 mi 0% 43%
Darlington County, SC 36 mi 0% 83%
Chester County, SC 41 mi 7% 19%

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