Sinkhole risk in Sumter County, GA: 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: 8%
At or near the surface: 8%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

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

That works out to roughly 37 of Sumter County's 483 square miles on soluble rock, 37 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 28,972 residents (60 per square mile), much of the land is open, and the mapped rock may sit far from where people actually live. The figures come from 247 map points about 1.4 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Two things to read before deciding: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Sumter County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Lee County, GA, about 16 miles south, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. None of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so Sumter County stands out from its surroundings.

Lee County, GA 16 mi south · 75% at surface
Schley County, GA 17 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Webster County, GA 20 mi west · under 1% at surface
Terrell County, GA 23 mi southwest · 16% at surface
Macon County, GA 24 mi north · 32% at surface
Dooly County, GA 24 mi east · 88% at surface

What Sumter County is built on

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Ocala Limestone (limestone), Eocene in age, covering about 8% of the county.

Against the rest of Georgia

Sumter County ranks 49 of 159 in Georgia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 66% of US counties on that measure.