Best Soil for Gardening in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 62 USDA soil survey areas, and they vary considerably in how friendly the ground is for growing things. We ranked every survey area by the percentage of well-drained soil — the single most important soil property for most garden plants.

At the top, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has 96% well-drained soils — conditions where most vegetables, herbs, and flowers can thrive with basic soil preparation. At the other end, Erie County, Pennsylvania comes in at 28%, meaning more of the landscape has drainage challenges that may require raised beds, soil amendments, or careful site selection for a productive garden.

Remember that these are area-wide averages. Even in a low-ranking survey area, individual properties can have excellent garden soil. Look up your specific address for exact conditions.

See also: national gardening soil rankings | Pennsylvania drainage rankings | all Pennsylvania survey areas