Reference · all 50 states
The most common soil in every US state
Every state has a soil that covers more of it than any other. In Nebraska, Valentine covers 21% of the state, the biggest share of any state. In most states the leader covers only a few percent, because soil changes with every hill, valley and river.
- Most dominant
- 21%
- Valentine in Nebraska
- States and DC
- 51
- one series each
The leading soil in each state
Alphabetical
Most common is not always the official state soil
Most states also have an official state soil, chosen for its importance to farming or history rather than its size, so the two often differ. The table here is purely by mapped acres.
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All mapped land in the 50 states and DC in the current soil survey.
- Method
- Acres are the series' mapped acres within each state. Only named series are compared; miscellaneous areas such as rock outcrop, urban land and water are excluded. Share is of the state's mapped land. Full methodology.