Sinkhole risk in Lexington County, SC: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 15%
At or near the surface: 15%
Buried under cover: 0%

The next step for one property

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 103 of Lexington County's 699 square miles on soluble rock, 103 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 313,774 residents (449 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 561 map points about 1.1 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Lexington County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Aiken County, SC, about 31 miles southwest, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. None of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so Lexington County stands out from its surroundings.

Richland County, SC 23 mi northeast · 47% at surface
Saluda County, SC 27 mi west · under 1% at surface
Aiken County, SC 31 mi southwest · 68% at surface
Calhoun County, SC 32 mi southeast · 62% at surface
Newberry County, SC 33 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Fairfield County, SC 36 mi north · 0% at surface

What Lexington County is built on

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Huber/Lisbon/Barnwell Formations, undivided (sand), Eocene in age, covering about 14% of the county. Next is the Peedee Formation at 1%.

Against the rest of South Carolina

Lexington County ranks 26 of 46 in South Carolina for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 71% of US counties on that measure.