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Lee County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 63% of Lee County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

78.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

63%

high water table: limits basements

78%

in drought, October 13, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lee County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)63.4%
Septic fields very limited68.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil263,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Goldsboro12%n/a
Norfolk11%63%
Rains9%n/a
Noboco8%n/a
Johnston7%n/a
Barnwell4%n/a
Sumter County: 63%Darlington County: 83%Kershaw County: 29%Florence County: 82%Chesterfield County: 43%Clarendon County: 78%Richland County: 47%Lancaster County: 21%Lee County SumterDarlingtonKershawFlorenceChesterfieldClarendonRichlandLancasterLee
Lee 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 SC061 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 63% of Lee 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: 34.60 in, 12.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.78 in.

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

Drought

78.3% 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 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 worse78.3%
D2 severe or worse39.5%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

7 flood losses since 2016, $99,381 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20184
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.78 in
12 months to August 202634.60 in (-12.18)
202542.68 in (-4.10)
Wettest year since 18951928: 66.05 in
Driest year since 18951954: 28.16 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUMTER (17 mi away)14.7

Homes

Housing units7,602
Median year built1983
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$104,600
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
Sumter County, SC 18 mi 0% 63%
Darlington County, SC 20 mi 0% 83%
Kershaw County, SC 23 mi under 1% 29%
Florence County, SC 32 mi 0% 82%
Chesterfield County, SC 33 mi 0% 43%
Clarendon County, SC 34 mi 0% 78%
Richland County, SC 38 mi 0% 47%
Lancaster County, SC 45 mi 2% 21%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status