County soil summary
Soil types in Santa Cruz County, California
The most widespread soils are Ben Lomond, Felton and Lompico; the most common drainage class is well drained (57% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 6.5.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 81% of land · state 81%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · state 6.7
- Septic fields very limited
- 87% of land · state 79%
- Subject to flooding
- 2% of land, any frequency · state 11%
Most common soils in Santa Cruz County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 54% of the mapped land; 54 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Lomond | 12.5% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Felton | 10.0% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Lompico | 6.7% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Watsonville | 5.4% | Somewhat poorly drained | 6.5 |
| Aptos | 5.4% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Maymen | 5.3% | Somewhat excessively drained | 5.8 |
| Catelli | 4.7% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Sur | 4.4% | Somewhat excessively drained | 6.5 |
What this means
What the soils in Santa Cruz County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Santa Cruz County is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 5.8 and 6.7), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 78% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (33% of the land).
81% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 52% 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 87% of the land in Santa Cruz County very limited, <1% somewhat limited and <1% not limited (13% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 79% of the land is very limited, so Santa Cruz County is more 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.
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 (57%). 81% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 81% across California.
Show as a table
| Category | Santa Cruz County | California |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.8% | 7.7% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 18.3% | 17.6% |
| Well drained | 57.1% | 50.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 4.5% | 4.7% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 5.4% | 2.5% |
| Poorly drained | 1.1% | 2.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Not rated | 12.7% | 14.2% |
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 | Santa Cruz County | California |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.4% | 4.3% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.2% | 3.6% |
| Very limited | 86.9% | 79.2% |
| Not rated | 12.6% | 12.9% |
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 | Santa Cruz County | California |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 20.4% | 20.5% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 14.5% | 12.5% |
| C: slow infiltration | 33.1% | 22.7% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 19.1% | 30.3% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Not rated | 12.7% | 12.6% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Santa Cruz County | California |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 83.4% | 77.1% |
| Rare or very rare | 2.0% | 8.2% |
| Occasional | 0.0% | 1.6% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Not reported | 14.2% | 12.1% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Santa Cruz County | California |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 0.1% | 2.6% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 98.7% | 86.9% |
| Not reported | 0.1% | 8.6% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 6.5 (slightly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.8 and 6.7. Median topsoil organic matter is 2%.
Show as a table
| Category | Santa Cruz County | California |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 0.2% | 3.1% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 19.5% | 22.8% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 65.3% | 25.2% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.4% | 30.6% |
| Not reported | 14.6% | 18.2% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Santa Cruz County | California |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 6.3% | 21.3% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 78.3% | 56.7% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 1.3% | 3.9% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 14.1% | 18.0% |
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
- Santa Cruz County, California (FIPS 06087): 274,752 acres of mapped land, 1,400 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in California.
- 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.