State soil summary
Soil types in Nebraska
The most widespread soil series in Nebraska are Valentine, Holdrege, Coly. 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
- 6.6 neutral · most land 5.9–7.7
- Septic fields very limited
- 80% 2% not limited
- Subject to flooding
- 10% of land, any frequency
Nebraska counties
3 county reports, by population
| County | Most common soil | Well drained | Topsoil pH | Septic very limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | Contrary | 43% | 6.5 | 54% |
| Lancaster County | Wymore | 90% | 6.0 | 98% |
| Sarpy County | Contrary | 71% | 5.8 | 75% |
What this means
What Nebraska soils mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Nebraska is neutral: pH 6.6 (most land between 5.9 and 7.7), the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 60% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (32% of the land).
90% of the land is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
37% of the land is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For septic systems
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 80% of the land in Nebraska very limited, 18% somewhat limited and 2% 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.
Flooding is mapped on 10% of the land (5% 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 | 26.7% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 2.3% |
| Well drained | 52.7% |
| Moderately well drained | 8.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 5.8% |
| Poorly drained | 2.7% |
| Very poorly drained | 1.3% |
| Not rated | 0.4% |
Septic absorption fields
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 1.8% |
| Somewhat limited | 17.6% |
| Very limited | 80.4% |
| Not rated | 0.2% |
Topsoil pH
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 0.2% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 20.6% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 63.8% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 15.0% |
| Not reported | 0.4% |
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
- Nebraska: 49,087,424 acres of mapped land in 93 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.