Soil series profile
Wooster soil series
Wooster is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 251,311 acres in 21 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · range 5.3–5.9
- Mapped area
- 251k acres in 21 counties, 2 states
Typical Wooster profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 in (H1) | Silt loam | 5.3 | 16% | 30% | 2% |
| 9–23 in (H2) | Loam | 5.3 | 21% | 42% | 0.55% |
| 23–40 in (H3) | Loam | 5.3 | 23% | 40% | 0.35% |
| 40–80 in (H4) | Loam | 5.9 | 17% | 43% | 0.25% |
What this means
What Wooster soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Wooster soils is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 5.3 and 5.9). 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 >99% of mapped Wooster acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (92% of mapped Wooster acres).
>99% of mapped Wooster acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On >99% 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 >99% of the acres in mapped Wooster 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 Wooster soil is found
Mapped acres
Wooster is mapped in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Ashland County, OH | 46,839 | 17.2% |
| Holmes County, OH | 43,051 | 15.9% |
| Richland County, OH | 35,232 | 11.1% |
| Stark County, OH | 29,208 | 7.9% |
| Wayne County, OH | 24,929 | 7.0% |
| Summit County, OH | 13,627 | 5.2% |
| Portage County, OH | 10,729 | 3.4% |
| Knox County, OH | 8,684 | 2.6% |
| Medina County, OH | 7,641 | 2.8% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 6,532 | 2.5% |
| Lawrence County, PA | 5,681 | 2.5% |
| Morrow County, OH | 5,149 | 2.0% |
| Warren County, PA | 4,551 | 0.8% |
| Columbia County, PA | 4,247 | 1.4% |
| Venango County, PA | 2,537 | 0.6% |
| Beaver County, PA | 1,408 | 0.5% |
| Butler County, PA | 553 | 0.1% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 386 | 0.1% |
| Geauga County, OH | 326 | 0.1% |
| Tuscarawas County, OH | 2 | 0.0% |
| Mercer County, PA | 1 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Wooster acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.4% |
| Not rated | 0.6% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Wooster acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 3.9 feet (47 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 4–15% (median 9%).
- 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 | 99.4% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.6% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 99.4% |
| 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% |
| Not rated | 0.6% |
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 Wooster (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 251,311 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Wooster components. The profile comes from the single largest Wooster component. Full methodology.