Soil series profile
Goldsboro soil series
Goldsboro is a moderately well drained soil with a loamy sand surface, mapped on 1,298,196 acres in 100 counties across 7 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Moderately well drained 99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 41% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.7 very strongly acidic · range 4.6–5.1
- Mapped area
- 1.3M acres in 100 counties, 7 states
Typical Goldsboro profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7 in (A) | Loamy sand | 4.6 | 12% | 84% | 1.25% |
| 7–35 in (Bt) | Sandy clay loam | 4.6 | 24% | 58% | 0.25% |
| 35–62 in (Btg) | Sandy clay loam | 4.6 | 24% | 58% | 0.25% |
| 62–75 in (BCg) | Sandy clay loam | 4.6 | 24% | 58% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Goldsboro soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Goldsboro soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.7 (most land between 4.6 and 5.1). 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.
Sandy topsoil covers 59% of mapped Goldsboro acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is loamy sand (42% of mapped Goldsboro acres).
100% of mapped Goldsboro acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 55% of mapped acres, 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.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Goldsboro soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not 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.
Where Goldsboro soil is found
Mapped acres
Goldsboro is mapped in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Virginia and Arkansas. The 60 counties with the most Goldsboro acres:
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County, SC | 66,928 | 9.7% |
| Orangeburg County, SC | 54,817 | 8.0% |
| Robeson County, NC | 49,371 | 8.5% |
| Florence County, SC | 48,878 | 10.2% |
| Sampson County, NC | 40,375 | 7.1% |
| Colleton County, SC | 40,268 | 6.8% |
| Columbus County, NC | 37,849 | 6.9% |
| Williamsburg County, SC | 35,685 | 6.1% |
| Johnston County, NC | 34,710 | 7.5% |
| Duplin County, NC | 33,371 | 7.1% |
| Darlington County, SC | 31,466 | 9.4% |
| Dorchester County, SC | 31,428 | 8.8% |
| Horry County, SC | 30,808 | 4.3% |
| Lee County, SC | 30,515 | 11.6% |
| Brunswick County, NC | 28,363 | 5.6% |
| Bladen County, NC | 27,600 | 5.4% |
| Martin County, NC | 26,108 | 9.6% |
| Pender County, NC | 26,077 | 5.2% |
| Hampton County, SC | 25,788 | 7.3% |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 25,672 | 8.3% |
| Mitchell County, GA | 24,548 | 8.8% |
| Miller County, GA | 24,278 | 15.0% |
| Craven County, NC | 24,256 | 6.0% |
| Sumter County, SC | 24,191 | 5.7% |
| Bertie County, NC | 23,751 | 5.9% |
| Wilson County, NC | 21,908 | 9.9% |
| Onslow County, NC | 20,242 | 4.5% |
| Halifax County, NC | 19,030 | 4.6% |
| Wayne County, NC | 18,223 | 5.5% |
| Baldwin County, AL | 17,413 | 1.8% |
| Northampton County, NC | 17,347 | 5.6% |
| Pitt County, NC | 16,502 | 4.3% |
| Lenoir County, NC | 15,690 | 6.6% |
| Jones County, NC | 15,658 | 5.6% |
| Early County, GA | 15,334 | 5.1% |
| Gates County, NC | 15,306 | 7.7% |
| Nash County, NC | 15,137 | 4.7% |
| Greene County, NC | 14,270 | 8.8% |
| Bamberg County, SC | 13,540 | 5.9% |
| Jasper County, SC | 11,497 | 2.8% |
| Beaufort County, NC | 10,773 | 2.2% |
| Cumberland County, NC | 10,003 | 2.7% |
| Lee County, GA | 9,626 | 4.6% |
| Kershaw County, SC | 9,463 | 2.0% |
| Seminole County, GA | 9,297 | 6.9% |
| Liberty County, FL | 8,944 | 1.7% |
| Calhoun County, GA | 8,759 | 5.4% |
| Harnett County, NC | 7,775 | 2.2% |
| Washington County, FL | 7,487 | 2.0% |
| Bullock County, AL | 7,487 | 2.1% |
| Barbour County, AL | 7,310 | 1.5% |
| Marlboro County, SC | 6,952 | 2.4% |
| Allendale County, SC | 6,608 | 1.8% |
| Marion County, SC | 6,270 | 2.1% |
| Grady County, GA | 6,103 | 2.5% |
| Hoke County, NC | 6,055 | 2.7% |
| Macon County, AL | 5,555 | 1.6% |
| Hertford County, NC | 5,296 | 2.6% |
| Richland County, SC | 4,765 | 1.0% |
| Decatur County, GA | 4,492 | 1.4% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Goldsboro acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Goldsboro acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.0 feet (24 in) (median where reported); within 18 inches on 11% of acres.
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 1–1% (median 1%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 1.3% |
| Moderately well drained | 98.6% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 3.4% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 41.2% |
| C: slow infiltration | 39.8% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 8.5% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 7.1% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
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
- All map unit components named Goldsboro (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 1,298,196 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Goldsboro components. The profile comes from the single largest Goldsboro component. Full methodology.