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Spartanburg County, South Carolina

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Spartanburg County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 10%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 36.4% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 65 flood losses here since 2016, 10% of them in buildings with basements. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

10%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

38%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Spartanburg County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.3%
High water table (limits basements)9.9%
Septic fields very limited40.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.5%
Urban land, not rated5.8%
Mapped soil523,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Cecil63%0%
Bethlehem9%n/a
Pacolet7%0%
Toccoa4%n/a
Chewacla3%n/a
Cataula1%n/a
Greenville County: 0%Cherokee County: 1%Polk County: 0%Union County: 8%Laurens County: 7%Rutherford County: 0%Cleveland County: 1%Henderson County: 0%Spartanburg County GreenvilleCherokeePolkUnionLaurensRutherfordClevelandHendersonSpartanburg
Spartanburg County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas SC083 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 35.82 in, 13.41 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.23 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 10% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Spartanburg County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 worse54.6%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

65 flood losses since 2016, $1.7 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 37. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% basements, 47% slabs, 29% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20185
20191
202017
20213
20220
20230
202437
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.23 in
12 months to August 202635.82 in (-13.41)
202541.43 in (-7.80)
Wettest year since 18951901: 74.08 in
Driest year since 18952016: 32.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SPARTANBURG 3 SSE (5 mi away)15

Homes

Housing units144,170
Median year built1990
Built before 198038%
Built 2000 or later35%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$233,300
Single-family detached72%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Greenville County, SC 22 mi under 1% 11%
Cherokee County, SC 23 mi 1% 5%
Polk County, NC 26 mi under 1% 6%
Union County, SC 27 mi 8% 17%
Laurens County, SC 31 mi 7% 19%
Rutherford County, NC 33 mi under 1% 8%
Cleveland County, NC 37 mi 1% 7%
Henderson County, NC 39 mi under 1% 10%

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