Rankings

Best Soil for Gardening by State

How we ranked

Indiana, Illinois and Iowa have the most good growing ground in the country: 60%, 59% and 55% of their land in USDA's top two capability classes.

USDA grades every mapped soil into a land capability class from I to VIII, for growing crops without irrigation. Class I and II soils have few or moderate limitations: deep, workable, enough water. Classes III and IV can be farmed with care. Classes V through VIII are steep, stony, wet, shallow, or too dry, and are usually left to grass, range or woods.

We rank by the share of land in Class I–II. One thing to know: the grade includes rainfall. In dry states much of the land rates Class VI or VII simply because crops need watering there, so a watered garden on that ground can still do well. Look up your address for the pH, texture and water-holding that matter for a backyard bed.

Class I–II · good ground for growingIII–IV · workable with careV–VIII · best left to grass, range or woodsnot rated

#	State	Class I–II	Drains well	Main soil order
1	Indiana	60%	51%	Alfisols
2	Illinois	59%	41%	Alfisols
3	Iowa	55%	54%	Mollisols
4	Ohio	48%	54%	Alfisols
5	Delaware	43%	44%	Ultisols
6	North Dakota	43%	72%	Mollisols
7	Minnesota	39%	40%	Mollisols
8	Kansas	39%	90%	Mollisols
9	Maryland	34%	65%	Ultisols
10	South Dakota	32%	88%	Mollisols
11	South Carolina	30%	60%	Ultisols
12	Mississippi	29%	62%	Ultisols
13	Wisconsin	29%	57%	Alfisols
14	New Jersey	29%	56%	Ultisols
15	Georgia	29%	66%	Ultisols
16	North Carolina	27%	63%	Ultisols
17	Nebraska	25%	63%	Mollisols
18	Michigan	24%	43%	Alfisols
19	Virginia	24%	82%	Ultisols
20	Kentucky	23%	90%	Alfisols
21	Alabama	23%	81%	Ultisols
22	Oklahoma	22%	85%	Mollisols
23	Tennessee	21%	85%	Ultisols
24	Louisiana	21%	32%	Alfisols
25	Pennsylvania	20%	79%	Inceptisols
26	New York	19%	64%	Inceptisols
27	Missouri	18%	66%	Alfisols
28	Arkansas	18%	62%	Ultisols
29	Connecticut	17%	66%	Inceptisols
30	Rhode Island	17%	44%	Inceptisols
31	United States	17%	71%	Mollisols
32	Massachusetts	17%	58%	Inceptisols
33	District of Columbia	16%	46%	Ultisols
34	Texas	16%	90%	Mollisols
35	Northern Mariana Islands	11%	94%	Mollisols
36	Virgin Islands	10%	91%	Mollisols
37	Vermont	7%	72%	Spodosols
38	Maine	7%	51%	Spodosols
39	West Virginia	7%	96%	Ultisols
40	New Hampshire	7%	66%	Spodosols
41	Puerto Rico	7%	58%	Inceptisols
42	Guam	6%	92%	Entisols
43	Florida	5%	14%	Spodosols
44	Oregon	3%	83%	Mollisols
45	Washington	3%	85%	Mollisols
46	Hawaii	2%	77%	Andisols
47	Federated States of Micronesia	2%	77%	Inceptisols
48	Colorado	1%	87%	Mollisols
49	American Samoa	1%	95%	Mollisols
50	New Mexico	1%	86%	Aridisols
51	Idaho	0%	91%	Mollisols
52	Montana	0%	88%	Mollisols
53	California	0%	84%	Entisols
54	Wyoming	0%	82%	Entisols
55	Utah	0%	70%	Entisols
56	Alaska	0%	38%	Gelisols
57	Arizona	0%	88%	Aridisols
58	Marshall Islands	0%	78%	Entisols
59	Nevada	0%	85%	Aridisols
60	Palau	0%	81%	Oxisols

Reading the main soil order

Mollisols are prairie soils with thick, dark, fertile topsoil; with Alfisols they make up the Corn Belt that leads this list. Alfisols are forest soils that farm well with some care. Ultisols are old, weathered, acid clays common in the Southeast. Aridisols are desert soils, often limey and low in organic matter. See the soil taxonomy guide for all twelve.

These are statewide shares. Soil changes over short distances, so look up your address for the ground under your garden.