County soil summary
Soil types in Onondaga County, New York
The most widespread soils are Honeoye, Lansing and Ontario; the most common drainage class is well drained (38% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 6.3.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 65% of land · state 63%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.3 slightly acidic · state 5.5
- Septic fields very limited
- 68% of land · state 84%
- Subject to flooding
- 4% of land, any frequency · state 4%
Most common soils in Onondaga County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 38% of the mapped land; 72 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honeoye | 11.6% | Well drained | 6.3 |
| Lansing | 5.5% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Ontario | 4.0% | Well drained | 5.8 |
| Niagara | 3.8% | Somewhat poorly drained | 6.2 |
| CollamerGeneral soil group, not a named series | 3.5% | — | — |
| Palmyra | 3.5% | Well drained | 6.5 |
| Lima | 3.3% | Moderately well drained | 7.0 |
| Madrid | 2.8% | Well drained | 6.2 |
What this means
What the soils in Onondaga County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Onondaga County is slightly acidic: pH 6.3 (most land between 5.8 and 6.8), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 80% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (43% of the land).
65% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For your lawn and yard
On 51% 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 22% 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 68% of the land in Onondaga County very limited, 16% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (16% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
Statewide, 84% of the land is very limited, so Onondaga 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.
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 (38%). 65% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 63% across New York.
Show as a table
| Category | Onondaga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.1% | 2.8% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 2.9% | 7.9% |
| Well drained | 37.9% | 32.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 23.8% | 19.2% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 11.7% | 16.6% |
| Poorly drained | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Very poorly drained | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Not rated | 16.1% | 10.0% |
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 | Onondaga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Somewhat limited | 15.7% | 3.3% |
| Very limited | 68.1% | 83.5% |
| Not rated | 16.3% | 13.0% |
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 | Onondaga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 8.1% | 10.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 24.8% | 12.9% |
| C: slow infiltration | 9.7% | 13.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 10.6% | 25.3% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 3.3% | 3.5% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 15.0% | 9.5% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Not rated | 16.3% | 14.2% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Onondaga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 79.7% | 83.0% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Occasional | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 2.4% | 2.1% |
| Not reported | 16.3% | 13.3% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Onondaga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 22.1% | 32.8% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 24.6% | 18.5% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 48.6% | 42.9% |
| Not reported | 4.7% | 5.8% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 6.3 (slightly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.8 and 6.8. Median topsoil organic matter is 4%.
Show as a table
| Category | Onondaga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 3.2% | 40.7% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 47.9% | 29.9% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 30.0% | 13.2% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Not reported | 18.7% | 15.6% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Onondaga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 1.1% | 5.9% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 80.0% | 76.3% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 16.3% | 14.4% |
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
- Onondaga County, New York (FIPS 36067): 498,748 acres of mapped land, 16,952 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in New York.
- 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.