Best Soil for Gardening in South Carolina
South Carolina has 48 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, Sumter National Forest Area, Oconee County, South Carolina has 100% well-drained soils — conditions where most vegetables, herbs, and flowers can thrive with basic soil preparation. At the other end, Beaufort County, South Carolina comes in at 8%, 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.
| # | Survey Area | Well-Drained Soils | Dominant Drainage | Dominant Soil Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sumter National Forest Area, Oconee County, South Carolina | 100% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 2 | Oconee County Area, South Carolina | 99% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 3 | Saluda County, South Carolina | 97% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 4 | Spartanburg County, South Carolina | 96% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 5 | Fairfield County, South Carolina | 96% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 6 | Abbeville County, South Carolina | 96% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 7 | Newberry County, South Carolina | 96% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 8 | Anderson County, South Carolina | 95% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 9 | Cherokee County, South Carolina | 95% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 10 | Pickens County, South Carolina | 94% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 11 | Laurens County, South Carolina | 91% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 12 | Edgefield County, South Carolina | 91% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 13 | Greenwood County, South Carolina | 90% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 14 | Chester County, South Carolina | 90% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 15 | Union County, South Carolina | 89% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 16 | Greenville County, South Carolina | 89% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 17 | Lancaster County, South Carolina | 86% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 18 | McCormick County, South Carolina | 86% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 19 | York County, South Carolina | 84% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 20 | Barnwell County, South Carolina, Eastern Part | 76% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 21 | Calhoun County, South Carolina | 65% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 22 | Richland County, South Carolina | 65% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 23 | Lee County, South Carolina | 64% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 24 | Allendale County, South Carolina | 62% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 25 | Savannah River Plant Area | 62% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 26 | Darlington County, South Carolina | 60% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 27 | Kershaw County Area, South Carolina | 59% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 28 | Lexington County, South Carolina | 57% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 29 | Chesterfield County, South Carolina | 53% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 30 | Orangeburg County, South Carolina | 52% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 31 | Marlboro County, South Carolina | 51% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 32 | Aiken County Area, South Carolina | 47% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 33 | Sumter County, South Carolina | 46% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 34 | Bamberg County, South Carolina | 43% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 35 | Hampton County, South Carolina | 42% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 36 | Clarendon County, South Carolina | 42% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 37 | Dillon County, South Carolina | 39% | Well drained | Ultisols |
| 38 | Horry County, South Carolina | 36% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 39 | Williamsburg County, South Carolina | 36% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 40 | Florence County, South Carolina | 36% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 41 | Berkeley County, South Carolina | 32% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 42 | Dorchester County, South Carolina | 27% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 43 | Marion County, South Carolina | 22% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 44 | Jasper County, South Carolina | 22% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 45 | Charleston County Area, South Carolina | 21% | Very poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 46 | Georgetown County, South Carolina | 19% | Very poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 47 | Colleton County, South Carolina | 17% | Poorly drained | Ultisols |
| 48 | Beaufort County, South Carolina | 8% | Very poorly drained | Ultisols |