State soil summary
Soil types in Kansas
The most widespread soil series in Kansas are Harney, Ulysses, Richfield. Pick a county below, or enter a ZIP code for the county you live in.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 90% of mapped land
- Typical topsoil pH
- 6.5 slightly acidic · most land 5.8–7.9
- Septic fields very limited
- 77% <1% not limited
- Subject to flooding
- 13% of land, any frequency
Kansas counties
4 county reports, by population
| County | Most common soil | Well drained | Topsoil pH | Septic very limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | Chillicothe | 73% | 6.1 | 95% |
| Sedgwick County | Blanket | 88% | 6.5 | 86% |
| Shawnee County | Martin | 81% | 6.1 | 93% |
| Wyandotte County | Knox | 84% | 6.5 | 76% |
What this means
What Kansas soils mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Kansas is slightly acidic: pH 6.5 (most land between 5.8 and 7.9), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 89% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (49% of the land).
90% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On 68% of the land, 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 septic systems
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 77% of the land in Kansas very limited, 21% somewhat limited and <1% not limited (1% not rated, such as urban land, pits or water).
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 13% of the land (6% occasional, 2% frequent).
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Statewide mix
Share of all mapped land
Drainage
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 1.5% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 4.1% |
| Well drained | 66.3% |
| Moderately well drained | 18.3% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 7.1% |
| Poorly drained | 2.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.7% |
Septic absorption fields
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.9% |
| Somewhat limited | 21.4% |
| Very limited | 76.8% |
| Not rated | 1.0% |
Topsoil pH
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 0.8% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 41.0% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 31.7% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 25.2% |
| Not reported | 1.2% |
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
- Kansas: 52,329,785 acres of mapped land in 105 counties, pooled (not an average of county figures).
- 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.