HomeSouth CarolinaLaurens County

Laurens County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Laurens County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 6.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

19%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

43%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Laurens County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.4%
High water table (limits basements)19.3%
Septic fields very limited52.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.6%
Mapped soil461,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Cecil32%0%
Wilkes11%n/a
Cataula11%n/a
Pacolet8%0%
Enon7%n/a
Madison6%0%
Greenwood County: 17%Union County: 17%Newberry County: 28%Spartanburg County: 10%Abbeville County: 22%Greenville County: 11%Anderson County: 11%Saluda County: 19%Laurens County GreenwoodUnionNewberrySpartanburgAbbevilleGreenvilleAndersonSaludaLaurens
Laurens 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 SC059 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 19% of Laurens 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: 36.53 in, 9.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.29 in.

USDA rates 52% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse29.5%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

11 flood losses since 2016, $530,321 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20182
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20245
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.29 in
12 months to August 202636.53 in (-9.76)
202543.79 in (-2.50)
Wettest year since 18951929: 77.26 in
Driest year since 18952016: 29.19 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAURENS (1 mi away)13.7

Homes

Housing units32,027
Median year built1985
Built before 198043%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$170,600
Single-family detached62%

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
Greenwood County, SC 24 mi 11% 17%
Union County, SC 26 mi 8% 17%
Newberry County, SC 27 mi 13% 28%
Spartanburg County, SC 31 mi 1% 10%
Abbeville County, SC 31 mi 5% 22%
Greenville County, SC 35 mi under 1% 11%
Anderson County, SC 36 mi under 1% 11%
Saluda County, SC 37 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