HomeSouth CarolinaSumter County

Sumter County, South Carolina

A shallow water table limits basements on 63% of Sumter County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 77 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

63%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

36%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Sumter County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)63.1%
Septic fields very limited67.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil436,800 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rains12%n/a
Norfolk10%63%
Lynchburg7%n/a
Noboco7%n/a
Johnston6%n/a
Goldsboro6%n/a
Lee County: 63%Clarendon County: 78%Calhoun County: 36%Richland County: 47%Kershaw County: 29%Darlington County: 83%Florence County: 82%Orangeburg County: 77%Sumter County LeeClarendonCalhounRichlandKershawDarlingtonFlorenceOrangeburgSumter
Sumter 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 SC085 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 63% of Sumter 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: 34.84 in, 12.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.90 in.

USDA rates 68% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% 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 29 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse93.6%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

77 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 33. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 38% slabs, 48% crawl spaces, 10% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.

YearFlood losses
201620
20171
201812
20191
202033
20212
20223
20232
20241
20251
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.90 in
12 months to August 202634.84 in (-12.06)
202543.49 in (-3.41)
Wettest year since 18951964: 65.90 in
Driest year since 18951954: 26.72 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUMTER (2 mi away)14.7

Homes

Housing units47,582
Median year built1987
Built before 198036%
Built 2000 or later27%
Owner-occupied68%
Median value, owner-occupied$165,300
Single-family detached67%

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
Lee County, SC 18 mi 0% 63%
Clarendon County, SC 20 mi 0% 78%
Calhoun County, SC 28 mi 0% 36%
Richland County, SC 31 mi 0% 47%
Kershaw County, SC 32 mi under 1% 29%
Darlington County, SC 37 mi 0% 83%
Florence County, SC 39 mi 0% 82%
Orangeburg County, SC 41 mi 0% 77%

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