County soil summary
Soil types in Madison County, Alabama
The most widespread soils are Barfield, Decatur and Dickson; the most common drainage class is well drained (66% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.3.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 81% of land · state 81%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · state 5.0
- Septic fields very limited
- 62% of land · state 79%
- Subject to flooding
- 18% of land, any frequency · state 19%
Most common soils in Madison County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 55% of the mapped land; 57 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barfield | 15.6% | Well drained | 7.0 |
| Decatur | 15.3% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Dickson | 6.5% | Moderately well drained | 6.2 |
| Abernathy | 4.8% | Well drained | 6.0 |
| Bewleyville | 3.4% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Lobelville | 3.2% | Moderately well drained | 5.3 |
| Melvin | 3.2% | Poorly drained | 6.7 |
| Hermitage | 3.1% | Well drained | 5.0 |
What this means
What the soils in Madison County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Madison County is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.0 and 7.0). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 81% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (31% of the land).
81% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 56% of the land, rain soaks in slowly (hydrologic groups C and D, including dual groups that are D until drained). Expect runoff and puddles after heavy rain: core-aerate compacted lawns and keep ground sloping away from foundations.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 62% of the land in Madison County very limited, 38% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Statewide, 79% of the land is very limited, so Madison County is less restrictive than typical.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Flooding is mapped on 18% of the land (15% occasional, <1% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Drainage
How long the soil stays wet
The most common drainage class is well drained (66%). 81% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 81% across Alabama.
Show as a table
| Category | Madison County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.3% | 5.9% |
| Well drained | 66.4% | 60.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 14.2% | 13.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 9.5% | 8.3% |
| Poorly drained | 9.4% | 8.2% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Not rated | 0.1% | 1.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating for conventional drain fields
The rating looks at the soil from 24 to 60 inches deep: permeability, depth to a seasonal water table or bedrock, flooding and slope. “Very limited” means at least one feature is unfavorable enough that a conventional field is hard to make work.
Show as a table
| Category | Madison County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 2.9% |
| Somewhat limited | 37.8% | 17.6% |
| Very limited | 62.1% | 78.5% |
| Not rated | 0.1% | 0.9% |
Rain, runoff and water table
Hydrologic soil group, flooding, seasonal water table
Hydrologic soil group
How fast rain soaks in when the soil is already wet. Group A soaks in fastest, D slowest.
Show as a table
| Category | Madison County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 2.5% | 13.1% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 41.1% | 27.4% |
| C: slow infiltration | 11.7% | 20.8% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 20.2% | 20.1% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 1.8% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 12.8% | 8.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 11.6% | 7.5% |
| Not rated | 0.1% | 1.2% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Madison County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 81.8% | 80.7% |
| Rare or very rare | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Occasional | 15.0% | 4.8% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 0.7% | 12.2% |
| Not reported | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Madison County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 11.6% | 19.8% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 25.1% | 8.3% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 63.2% | 71.6% |
| Not reported | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.3 (strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.0 and 7.0. Median topsoil organic matter is 1.8%.
Show as a table
| Category | Madison County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 50.4% | 76.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 18.5% | 17.1% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 31.0% | 2.8% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 2.4% |
| Not reported | 0.1% | 1.5% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Madison County | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.0% | 16.5% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 81.1% | 77.7% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 18.7% | 3.9% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 0.1% | 1.1% |
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
- Madison County, Alabama (FIPS 01089): 442,702 acres of mapped land, 7,099 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Alabama.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped land area: each map unit’s acres in the county times each soil component’s percentage. Open water is excluded. Topsoil values use the first mineral horizon of each component. Full methodology.