County soil summary
Soil types in Kent County, Michigan
The most widespread soils are Filer, Spinks and Chelsea; the most common drainage class is well drained (39% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 6.2.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 62% of land · state 53%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.2 slightly acidic · state 6.0
- Septic fields very limited
- 92% of land · state 95%
- Subject to flooding
- 7% of land, any frequency · state 2%
Most common soils in Kent County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 46% of the mapped land; 66 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filer | 9.2% | Well drained | 6.1 |
| Spinks | 6.7% | Well drained | 6.0 |
| Chelsea | 6.2% | Excessively drained | 6.1 |
| Urban landLand type, not a soil series | 5.5% | — | — |
| Oakville | 5.1% | Excessively drained | 5.9 |
| Plainfield | 4.8% | Excessively drained | 5.7 |
| Capac | 4.2% | Somewhat poorly drained | 6.6 |
| Marlette | 4.2% | Moderately well drained | 6.1 |
What this means
What the soils in Kent County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Kent County is slightly acidic: pH 6.2 (most land between 5.7 and 6.7), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Sandy topsoil covers 44% of the land. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is loam (33% of the land).
62% 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.
A seasonal high water table comes within 18 inches of the surface on 29% 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 92% of the land in Kent County very limited, 2% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (6% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
That is close to the state as a whole (95% very limited).
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 7% of the land (2% occasional, 5% 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 (39%). 62% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 53% across Michigan.
Show as a table
| Category | Kent County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 15.5% | 9.2% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% | 8.5% |
| Well drained | 38.8% | 24.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 7.2% | 10.7% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 17.1% | 18.0% |
| Poorly drained | 8.5% | 13.2% |
| Very poorly drained | 6.9% | 14.1% |
| Not rated | 6.0% | 1.7% |
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 | Kent County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Somewhat limited | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| Very limited | 92.2% | 94.7% |
| Not rated | 6.0% | 1.2% |
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 | Kent County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 31.0% | 29.1% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 6.4% | 8.5% |
| C: slow infiltration | 19.2% | 8.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 3.9% | 8.7% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 15.3% | 17.8% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 3.8% | 10.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 13.6% | 16.2% |
| Not rated | 6.8% | 1.6% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Kent County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 87.0% | 96.1% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Occasional | 2.4% | 0.4% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Not reported | 6.0% | 1.5% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Kent County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 29.3% | 49.2% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 8.8% | 6.2% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 61.9% | 44.1% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 6.2 (slightly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.7 and 6.7. Median topsoil organic matter is 2%.
Show as a table
| Category | Kent County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 3.8% | 29.3% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 51.2% | 33.6% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 32.2% | 23.0% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 4.2% |
| Not reported | 12.9% | 9.9% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Kent County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 44.2% | 42.8% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 42.9% | 40.2% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 6.0% | 14.3% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 6.8% | 2.2% |
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
- Kent County, Michigan (FIPS 26081): 545,903 acres of mapped land, 12,606 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in Michigan.
- 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.