HomeSouth CarolinaNewberry County

Newberry County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Newberry County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 9.4% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

13%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Newberry County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.6%
High water table (limits basements)28.3%
Septic fields very limited50.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)12.9%
Mapped soil414,500 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Cecil38%0%
Hard Labor10%n/a
Pacolet7%0%
Rion6%n/a
Wynott4%n/a
Winnsboro4%n/a
Saluda County: 19%Laurens County: 19%Union County: 17%Fairfield County: 15%Greenwood County: 17%Lexington County: 24%Chester County: 19%Edgefield County: 18%Newberry County SaludaLaurensUnionFairfieldGreenwoodLexingtonChesterEdgefieldNewberry
Newberry 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 SC071 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 28% of Newberry 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: 35.87 in, 9.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.96 in.

USDA rates 50% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse25.5%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

6 flood losses since 2016, $38,161 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20244
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.96 in
12 months to August 202635.87 in (-9.09)
202543.89 in (-1.07)
Wettest year since 18951929: 74.26 in
Driest year since 18952007: 29.32 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LITTLE MTN (12 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units18,558
Median year built1981
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$173,300
Single-family detached71%

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
Saluda County, SC 21 mi 7% 19%
Laurens County, SC 27 mi 7% 19%
Union County, SC 28 mi 8% 17%
Fairfield County, SC 28 mi 1% 15%
Greenwood County, SC 32 mi 11% 17%
Lexington County, SC 33 mi 2% 24%
Chester County, SC 37 mi 7% 19%
Edgefield County, SC 41 mi 3% 18%

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