County soil summary
Soil types in Pickens County, South Carolina
The most widespread soils are Pacolet, Cecil and Evard; the most common drainage class is well drained (89% of the land), and typical topsoil pH is 5.5.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 96% of land · state 66%
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.5 strongly acidic · state 5.3
- Septic fields very limited
- 71% of land · state 75%
- Subject to flooding
- 7% of land, any frequency · state 14%
Most common soils in Pickens County
Share of mapped land
A county is a patchwork of many soils. These 8 cover 92% of the mapped land; 20 named soil series are mapped here in all.
| Soil | Share of land | Drainage | Topsoil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacolet | 46.2% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Cecil | 21.4% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Evard | 5.6% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Saluda | 5.1% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Hiwassee | 4.2% | Well drained | 5.5 |
| Edneytown | 3.2% | Well drained | 5.3 |
| Toccoa | 3.1% | Moderately well drained | 5.8 |
| Ashe | 2.8% | Somewhat excessively drained | 4.8 |
What this means
What the soils in Pickens County mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For your garden
Typical topsoil in Pickens County is strongly acidic: pH 5.5 (most land between 5.3 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 83% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is sandy loam (40% of the land).
96% 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 71% of the land in Pickens County very limited, 29% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
That is close to the state as a whole (75% 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 (3% occasional, 3% 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 (89%). 96% of the land is moderately well drained or better, compared with 66% across South Carolina.
Show as a table
| Category | Pickens County | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.1% | 3.9% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| Well drained | 88.8% | 45.3% |
| Moderately well drained | 4.2% | 13.4% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 2.7% | 9.5% |
| Poorly drained | 0.2% | 14.3% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% | 9.3% |
| Not rated | 0.7% | 0.8% |
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 | Pickens County | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Somewhat limited | 29.4% | 24.3% |
| Very limited | 70.5% | 75.0% |
| Not rated | 0.0% | 0.3% |
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 | Pickens County | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 3.1% | 12.7% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 82.5% | 33.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 4.0% | 14.6% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 6.6% | 4.8% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.4% | 8.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 2.4% | 12.3% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.2% | 13.7% |
| Not rated | 0.9% | 0.9% |
Flooding
Show as a table
| Category | Pickens County | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| No flooding | 93.5% | 85.7% |
| Rare or very rare | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Occasional | 3.2% | 2.5% |
| Frequent or very frequent | 2.9% | 10.8% |
| Not reported | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Seasonal high water table
Show as a table
| Category | Pickens County | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Within 18 inches at some time of year | 3.1% | 34.8% |
| 18 inches to 3.3 feet | 1.3% | 12.1% |
| Deeper than 3.3 feet or none reported | 95.6% | 53.1% |
Topsoil pH and texture
First mineral layer of each soil
Typical topsoil pH is 5.5 (strongly acidic); 80% of rated land falls between 5.3 and 5.5. Median topsoil organic matter is 1%.
Show as a table
| Category | Pickens County | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 30.5% | 62.3% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 68.6% | 34.1% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 0.2% | 2.4% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0.7% | 1.1% |
Texture
Show as a table
| Category | Pickens County | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 16.4% | 42.7% |
| Loamy (loam, silt loam and similar) | 82.9% | 55.0% |
| Clayey (40%+ clay) | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Organic (muck or peat) | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Not reported (rock, urban land, etc.) | 0.7% | 0.8% |
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
- Pickens County, South Carolina (FIPS 45077): 311,594 acres of mapped land, 12,106 acres of open water excluded. State comparisons pool all mapped land in South 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.