County soil summary
Soil types in Bergen County, New Jersey
The most widespread soils are Dunellen, Boonton and Rockaway; the most common drainage class is well drained (40% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.0.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 56% of land · state 62%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.0 very strongly acidic · state 5.0
- Septic fields very limited
- 71% of land · state 90%
- Subject to flooding
- 5% of land, any frequency · state 18%
Most common soils in Bergen County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 88% of the mapped land; 27 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban landLand type, not a soil series | 30.7% | — | — |
| Dunellen | 15.2% | Well drained | 5.0 |
| UdorthentsGeneral soil group, not a named series | 13.8% | — | — |
| Boonton | 9.9% | Well drained | 3.9 |
| WethersfieldGeneral soil group, not a named series | 8.3% | — | — |
| Rockaway | 4.0% | Well drained | 5.0 |
| Haledon | 3.2% | Somewhat poorly drained | 5.3 |
| Riverhead | 2.5% | Well drained | 5.0 |
What this means
What the soils in Bergen County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Bergen County is very strongly acidic: pH 5.0 (most land between 3.9 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 55% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (21% of the land).
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 71% of the land in Bergen County very limited, 7% somewhat limited and 5% not limited (17% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 90% of the land is very limited, so Bergen 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 5% of the land (0% 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 (40%). 56% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 62% across New Jersey.
Show as a table
| Category | Bergen County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.6% | 5.3% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% | 4.5% |
| Well drained | 40.2% | 36.6% |
| Moderately well drained | 14.9% | 15.4% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 6.3% | 5.9% |
| Poorly drained | 1.0% | 9.5% |
| Very poorly drained | 3.9% | 13.6% |
| Not rated | 33.2% | 9.0% |
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 | Bergen County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 5.2% | 1.2% |
| Somewhat limited | 7.1% | 2.9% |
| Very limited | 70.6% | 89.7% |
| Not rated | 17.1% | 6.1% |
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 | Bergen County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 15.9% | 19.9% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 3.6% | 21.5% |
| C: slow infiltration | 26.6% | 17.8% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 16.9% | 10.6% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 2.8% | 15.9% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.7% | 2.8% |
| Not rated | 30.9% | 6.8% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Bergen County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 94.8% | 82.0% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.0% | 2.4% |
| Occasional | 0.0% | 2.1% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 5.2% | 13.4% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Bergen County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 11.6% | 32.1% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 16.5% | 15.8% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 72.0% | 52.1% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.0 (very strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 3.9 and 5.5. Median topsoil organic matter is 3%.
Show as a table
| Category | Bergen County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 55.8% | 62.1% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 8.7% | 22.5% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 0.0% | 2.9% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Not reported | 35.5% | 11.4% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Bergen County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 8.9% | 24.8% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 54.8% | 53.1% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 2.9% | 13.7% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 33.4% | 8.2% |
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
- Bergen County, New Jersey (FIPS 34003): 148,755 acres of mapped land, 9,245 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in New Jersey.
- 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.