Sinkhole risk in Berkeley County, SC: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 87%
At or near the surface: 30%
Buried under cover: 57%

What to do about a house in Berkeley County

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 961 of Berkeley County's 1,104 square miles on soluble rock, 332 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 264,276 residents (239 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 505 map points about 1.5 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Berkeley County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Dorchester County, SC, about 27 miles west, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Dorchester County, SC 27 mi west · 61% at surface
Charleston County, SC 28 mi south · 0% at surface
Williamsburg County, SC 32 mi northeast · 31% at surface
Clarendon County, SC 35 mi northwest · 79% at surface
Georgetown County, SC 41 mi east · 0% at surface
Colleton County, SC 48 mi southwest · 48% at surface

Against the rest of South Carolina

Berkeley County ranks 22 of 46 in South Carolina for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 79% of US counties on that measure.