County soil summary
Soil types in Buncombe County, North Carolina
The most widespread soils are Evard, Clifton and Edneyville; the most common drainage class is well drained (82% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.3.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 90% of land · state 68%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · state 5.2
- Septic fields very limited
- 92% of land · state 76%
- Subject to flooding
- 5% of land, any frequency · state 18%
Most common soils in Buncombe County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 65% of the mapped land; 72 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evard | 12.9% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Clifton | 12.2% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Edneyville | 8.7% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Cowee | 8.0% | Well drained | 5.0 |
| Tate | 7.5% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Toecane | 6.0% | Well drained | 4.8 |
| Chestnut | 5.5% | Well drained | 4.8 |
| Tusquitee | 4.5% | Well drained | 5.5 |
What this means
What the soils in Buncombe County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Buncombe County is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 4.8 and 5.5). 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 86% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (25% of the land).
90% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 92% of the land in Buncombe County very limited, <1% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (7% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 76% of the land is very limited, so Buncombe 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 (82%). 90% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 68% across North Carolina.
Show as a table
| Category | Buncombe County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.1% | 1.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 6.8% | 2.8% |
| Well drained | 81.8% | 54.2% |
| Moderately well drained | 1.2% | 10.4% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 2.4% | 5.4% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% | 12.4% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.4% | 11.6% |
| Not rated | 7.3% | 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 | Buncombe County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.6% | 21.4% |
| Very limited | 92.1% | 76.4% |
| Not rated | 7.3% | 2.2% |
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 | Buncombe County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 18.8% | 11.8% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 55.9% | 35.7% |
| C: slow infiltration | 11.9% | 14.5% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 3.6% | 7.4% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.6% | 10.6% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 2.0% | 11.1% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.1% | 7.1% |
| Not rated | 7.1% | 1.8% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Buncombe County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 95.1% | 81.9% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.7% | 7.5% |
| Occasional | 3.9% | 1.5% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 0.1% | 8.9% |
| Not reported | 0.2% | 0.2% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Buncombe County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 0.4% | 29.5% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 3.6% | 11.3% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 95.8% | 59.0% |
| Not reported | 0.2% | 0.2% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.3 (strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 4.8 and 5.5. Median topsoil organic matter is 4%.
Show as a table
| Category | Buncombe County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 61.0% | 61.7% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 31.6% | 33.5% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 0.0% | 2.3% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Not reported | 7.4% | 2.3% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Buncombe County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 7.1% | 24.0% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 85.5% | 69.0% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 5.1% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 7.4% | 1.8% |
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
- Buncombe County, North Carolina (FIPS 37021): 393,144 acres of mapped land, 2,963 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in North Carolina.
- 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.