County soil summary
Soil types in Saratoga County, New York
The most widespread soils are Windsor, Oakville and Berkshire; the most common drainage class is well drained (44% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.1.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 79% of land · state 63%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.1 strongly acidic · state 5.5
- Septic fields very limited
- 79% of land · state 84%
- Subject to flooding
- 2% of land, any frequency · state 4%
Most common soils in Saratoga County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 47% of the mapped land; 77 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor | 8.2% | Excessively drained | 5.1 |
| Oakville | 7.3% | Excessively drained | 5.9 |
| Berkshire | 6.9% | Well drained | 4.6 |
| Becket | 6.9% | Well drained | 4.2 |
| Charlton | 5.9% | Well drained | 4.8 |
| Tunbridge | 4.7% | Well drained | 4.8 |
| Hudson | 3.6% | Moderately well drained | 6.2 |
| Skerry | 3.5% | Moderately well drained | 5.2 |
What this means
What the soils in Saratoga County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Saratoga County is strongly acidic: pH 5.1 (most land between 4.2 and 6.2). 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 61% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is fine sandy loam (20% of the land).
79% 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 79% of the land in Saratoga County very limited, 5% somewhat limited and 0% not limited (16% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
That is close to the state as a whole (84% 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.
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 (44%). 79% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 63% across New York.
Show as a table
| Category | Saratoga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 11.4% | 2.8% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 3.8% | 7.9% |
| Well drained | 43.9% | 32.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 19.6% | 19.2% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 9.7% | 16.6% |
| Poorly drained | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Very poorly drained | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Not rated | 2.1% | 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 | Saratoga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Somewhat limited | 4.9% | 3.3% |
| Very limited | 79.0% | 83.5% |
| Not rated | 16.1% | 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 | Saratoga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 21.0% | 10.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 21.5% | 12.9% |
| C: slow infiltration | 9.2% | 13.1% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 9.8% | 25.3% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 2.6% | 3.5% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 8.0% | 9.5% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Not rated | 16.3% | 14.2% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Saratoga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 82.3% | 83.0% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Occasional | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 1.1% | 2.1% |
| Not reported | 16.1% | 13.3% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Saratoga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 17.3% | 32.8% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 21.4% | 18.5% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 56.1% | 42.9% |
| Not reported | 5.1% | 5.8% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.1 (strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 4.2 and 6.2. Median topsoil organic matter is 4%.
Show as a table
| Category | Saratoga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 54.1% | 40.7% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 22.7% | 29.9% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 4.8% | 13.2% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Not reported | 18.3% | 15.6% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Saratoga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 21.0% | 5.9% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 60.7% | 76.3% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 2.1% | 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
- Saratoga County, New York (FIPS 36091): 514,918 acres of mapped land, 22,382 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.