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Lancaster County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Lancaster County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

29.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2000.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

21%

high water table: limits basements

29%

in drought, October 13, 2026

31%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lancaster County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.9%
High water table (limits basements)21.1%
Septic fields very limited56.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.9%
Mapped soil357,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Herndon13%n/a
Cecil12%0%
Georgeville10%0%
Pacolet5%0%
Chewacla5%n/a
Blanton5%n/a
Union County: 28%Kershaw County: 29%Chester County: 19%Chesterfield County: 43%Fairfield County: 15%York County: 23%Anson County: 37%Mecklenburg County: 16%Lancaster County UnionKershawChesterChesterfieldFairfieldYorkAnsonMecklenburgLancaster
Lancaster 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 SC057 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 21% of Lancaster 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: 30.78 in, 12.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.58 in.

USDA rates 57% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

29.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 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 worse29.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

15 flood losses since 2016, $342,849 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20182
20193
20204
20210
20220
20231
20244
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202043.58 in
12 months to August 202630.78 in (-12.80)
202536.65 in (-6.93)
Wettest year since 18951929: 65.48 in
Driest year since 18952001: 29.39 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GREAT FALLS (14 mi away)11

Homes

Housing units43,832
Median year built2000
Built before 198031%
Built 2000 or later50%
Owner-occupied83%
Median value, owner-occupied$329,900
Single-family detached76%

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
Union County, NC 23 mi 3% 28%
Kershaw County, SC 25 mi under 1% 29%
Chester County, SC 26 mi 7% 19%
Chesterfield County, SC 31 mi 0% 43%
Fairfield County, SC 31 mi 1% 15%
York County, SC 33 mi 23% 23%
Anson County, NC 39 mi 15% 37%
Mecklenburg County, NC 39 mi 16% 16%

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