State soil summary
Soil types in Tennessee
The most widespread soil series in Tennessee are Bodine, Lily, Smithdale. Pick a county below, or enter a ZIP code for the county you live in.
- Well or moderately well drained
- 85% of mapped land
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.3 strongly acidic · most land 4.6–6.5
- Septic fields very limited
- 82% <1% not limited
- Subject to flooding
- 15% of land, any frequency
Tennessee counties
12 county reports, by population
| County | Most common soil | Well drained | Topsoil pH | Septic very limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | Memphis | 66% | 5.3 | 84% |
| Davidson County | Mimosa | 82% | 5.6 | 73% |
| Knox County | Dewey | 76% | 5.5 | 59% |
| Hamilton County | Fullerton | 85% | 5.0 | 75% |
| Rutherford County | Talbott | 78% | 5.8 | 70% |
| Williamson County | Bodine | 89% | 5.6 | 84% |
| Montgomery County | Sengtown | 94% | 6.2 | 66% |
| Sumner County | Mimosa | 93% | 5.6 | 76% |
| Wilson County | Talbott | 88% | 5.6 | 87% |
| Sullivan County | Collegedale | 90% | 5.3 | 85% |
| Blount County | Ramsey | 91% | 5.0 | 73% |
| Washington County | Dewey | 89% | 5.5 | 64% |
What this means
What Tennessee soils mean for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Tennessee is strongly acidic: pH 5.3 (most land between 4.6 and 6.5). 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 92% of the land: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (40% of the land).
85% of the land 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 septic systems
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 82% of the land in Tennessee very limited, 13% somewhat limited and <1% not limited (5% 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 15% of the land (9% occasional, 5% 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 | 2.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 11.6% |
| Well drained | 57.1% |
| Moderately well drained | 14.7% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 4.5% |
| Poorly drained | 4.2% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.1% |
| Not rated | 5.9% |
Septic absorption fields
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.1% |
| Somewhat limited | 12.7% |
| Very limited | 81.9% |
| Not rated | 5.3% |
Topsoil pH
Show as a table
| Category | Share of land |
|---|---|
| Strongly acidic (below 5.5) | 58.1% |
| Moderately to slightly acidic (5.5–6.4) | 26.3% |
| Near neutral (6.5–7.3) | 9.3% |
| Alkaline (7.4 and up) | 0.1% |
| Not reported | 6.2% |
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
- Tennessee: 26,352,485 acres of mapped land in 95 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.