County soil summary
Soil types in Vanderburgh County, Indiana
The most widespread soils are Hosmer, Alford and Wellston; the most common drainage class is moderately well drained (39% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 6.1.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 65% of land · state 52%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.1 slightly acidic · state 6.3
- Septic fields very limited
- 83% of land · state 92%
- Subject to flooding
- 27% of land, any frequency · state 10%
Most common soils in Vanderburgh County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 58% of the mapped land; 38 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosmer | 20.6% | Moderately well drained | 5.5 |
| Alford | 7.6% | Well drained | 5.9 |
| Wellston | 6.6% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Huntington | 6.1% | Well drained | 6.7 |
| Zanesville | 5.3% | Moderately well drained | 5.9 |
| WeinbachGeneral soil group, not a named series | 4.2% | — | — |
| Wakeland | 4.1% | Somewhat poorly drained | 6.2 |
| Stendal | 3.7% | Somewhat poorly drained | 5.9 |
What this means
What the soils in Vanderburgh County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Vanderburgh County is slightly acidic: pH 6.1 (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 94% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (78% of the land).
65% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 73% 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.
A seasonal high water table comes within 18 inches of the surface on 63% of the land, often in spring. Basements, sump pumps and lawns in low spots feel it first.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 83% of the land in Vanderburgh County very limited, 13% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (3% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 92% of the land is very limited, so Vanderburgh 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 27% of the land (2% occasional, 25% 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 moderately well drained (39%). 65% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 52% across Indiana.
Show as a table
| Category | Vanderburgh County | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% | 2.0% |
| Well drained | 25.7% | 29.6% |
| Moderately well drained | 39.2% | 18.8% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 20.8% | 22.4% |
| Poorly drained | 12.5% | 16.6% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.3% | 6.9% |
| Not rated | 1.5% | 2.3% |
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 | Vanderburgh County | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 13.3% | 5.2% |
| Very limited | 83.3% | 91.7% |
| Not rated | 3.4% | 3.1% |
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 | Vanderburgh County | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.5% | 5.5% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 23.3% | 15.9% |
| C: slow infiltration | 15.0% | 17.6% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.5% | 9.5% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% | 5.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 21.1% | 21.2% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 36.2% | 22.0% |
| Not rated | 3.4% | 3.3% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Vanderburgh County | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 71.6% | 87.8% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Occasional | 1.9% | 2.1% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 24.8% | 6.9% |
| Not reported | 1.7% | 2.2% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Vanderburgh County | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 63.3% | 53.6% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 26.5% | 32.3% |
| Not reported | 1.1% | 1.4% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 6.1 (slightly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.8 and 6.7. Median topsoil organic matter is 1.8%.
Show as a table
| Category | Vanderburgh County | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 0.0% | 6.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 58.6% | 50.7% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 38.1% | 37.9% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Not reported | 3.4% | 4.3% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Vanderburgh County | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 0.0% | 7.6% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 93.5% | 86.2% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 3.2% | 1.6% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 1.5% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 3.4% | 3.1% |
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
- Vanderburgh County, Indiana (FIPS 18163): 148,455 acres of mapped land, 2,668 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Indiana.
- 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.