Soil series profile
Hayesville soil series
Hayesville is a well drained soil with a fine sandy loam surface, mapped on 610,864 acres in 39 counties across 5 states. Hydrologic group B.
- Drainage class
- Well drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- B 91% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.1 strongly acidic · range 5.0–5.1
- Mapped area
- 611k acres in 39 counties, 5 states
Typical Hayesville profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 in (H1) | Fine sandy loam | 5.1 | 18% | 63% | 2% |
| 5–38 in (H2) | Clay loam | 4.8 | 39% | 30% | 0.75% |
| 38–48 in (H3) | Sandy clay loam | 4.8 | 30% | 56% | 0.25% |
| 48–60 in (H4) | Loam | 4.8 | 15% | 44% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Hayesville soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hayesville soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.1 (most land between 5.0 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.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 100% of mapped Hayesville acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (42% of mapped Hayesville acres).
100% of mapped Hayesville acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
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 98% of the acres in mapped Hayesville soils very limited, 2% 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 Hayesville soil is found
Mapped acres
Hayesville is mapped in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | 73,526 | 19.7% |
| Cherokee County, GA | 57,864 | 22.0% |
| Oconee County, SC | 50,401 | 12.5% |
| Lumpkin County, GA | 47,626 | 26.0% |
| White County, GA | 44,104 | 28.6% |
| Albemarle County, VA | 43,174 | 11.3% |
| Dawson County, GA | 42,623 | 31.6% |
| Henderson County, NC | 36,653 | 16.5% |
| McDowell County, NC | 35,969 | 13.7% |
| Rabun County, GA | 19,323 | 8.3% |
| Roanoke County, VA | 16,137 | 13.1% |
| Haywood County, NC | 12,422 | 3.6% |
| Caldwell County, NC | 11,569 | 3.8% |
| Towns County, GA | 11,559 | 11.0% |
| Union County, GA | 11,508 | 6.1% |
| Franklin County, VA | 10,137 | 2.5% |
| Pickens County, GA | 10,091 | 6.9% |
| Grayson County, VA | 9,968 | 4.4% |
| Polk County, TN | 9,451 | 3.4% |
| Carroll County, VA | 9,311 | 3.4% |
| Gilmer County, GA | 7,262 | 2.7% |
| Macon County, NC | 5,925 | 1.9% |
| Stokes County, NC | 4,308 | 1.6% |
| Clay County, NC | 3,959 | 3.0% |
| Rutherford County, NC | 3,532 | 1.1% |
| Bartow County, GA | 3,214 | 1.1% |
| Transylvania County, NC | 3,024 | 1.3% |
| Pickens County, SC | 2,970 | 1.0% |
| Polk County, NC | 2,716 | 1.9% |
| Wilkes County, NC | 1,974 | 0.4% |
| Fannin County, GA | 1,957 | 0.9% |
| Floyd County, VA | 1,805 | 0.9% |
| Alexander County, NC | 1,504 | 0.9% |
| Jackson County, NC | 958 | 0.3% |
| Alleghany County, NC | 943 | 0.8% |
| Swain County, NC | 514 | 0.1% |
| Roanoke city, VA | 457 | 2.1% |
| Botetourt County, VA | 392 | 0.2% |
| Salem city, VA | 32 | 0.5% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hayesville acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 2.1% |
| Very limited | 97.9% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Hayesville acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 8–30% (median 18%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 2%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 100.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| 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) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 91.1% |
| C: slow infiltration | 8.9% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| 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 Hayesville (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 610,864 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hayesville components. The profile comes from the single largest Hayesville component. Full methodology.