Best Soil for Gardening in South Dakota
South Dakota has 67 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, Meade County, South Dakota, Northern Part has 99% well-drained soils — conditions where most vegetables, herbs, and flowers can thrive with basic soil preparation. At the other end, Bennett County, South Dakota comes in at 61%, 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 | Meade County, South Dakota, Northern Part | 99% | Well drained | Entisols |
| 2 | Stanley County, South Dakota | 99% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 3 | Haakon County, South Dakota | 98% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 4 | Meade County, South Dakota, Southern Part | 98% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 5 | Ziebach County, South Dakota | 98% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 6 | Jones County, South Dakota | 97% | Well drained | Entisols |
| 7 | Dewey County, South Dakota | 97% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 8 | Jackson County Area, South Dakota, Northern Part | 97% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 9 | Lyman County, South Dakota | 97% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 10 | Lawrence County, South Dakota | 96% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 11 | Perkins County, South Dakota | 96% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 12 | Custer and Pennington Counties Area, Prairie Parts, South Dakota | 96% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 13 | Mellette County, South Dakota | 96% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 14 | Hughes County, South Dakota | 95% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 15 | Gregory County, South Dakota | 94% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 16 | Butte County, South Dakota | 93% | Well drained | Entisols |
| 17 | Charles Mix County, South Dakota | 93% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 18 | Potter County, South Dakota | 93% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 19 | Sully County, South Dakota | 93% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 20 | Brule and Buffalo Counties, South Dakota | 93% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 21 | Hyde County, South Dakota | 93% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 22 | Harding County, South Dakota | 92% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 23 | Walworth County, South Dakota | 92% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 24 | Corson County, South Dakota | 92% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 25 | Hand County, South Dakota | 90% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 26 | Custer and Pennington Counties Area, Black Hills Parts, South Dakota | 88% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 27 | Tripp County, South Dakota | 87% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 28 | Fall River County, South Dakota | 87% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 29 | Oglala Lakota County Area, South Dakota | 87% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 30 | Jackson County Area, South Dakota, Southern Part | 87% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 31 | Douglas County, South Dakota | 87% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 32 | Davison County, South Dakota | 85% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 33 | Faulk County, South Dakota | 85% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 34 | Jerauld County, South Dakota | 84% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 35 | Edmunds County, South Dakota | 83% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 36 | Miner County, South Dakota | 83% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 37 | Moody County, South Dakota | 82% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 38 | Hanson and Hutchinson Counties, South Dakota | 81% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 39 | Spink County, South Dakota | 81% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 40 | Kingsbury County, South Dakota | 81% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 41 | Aurora County, South Dakota | 80% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 42 | Campbell County, South Dakota | 80% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 43 | Beadle County, South Dakota | 80% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 44 | McCook County, South Dakota | 80% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 45 | Brown County, South Dakota | 79% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 46 | Grant County, South Dakota | 78% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 47 | Minnehaha County, South Dakota | 77% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 48 | Lake County, South Dakota | 76% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 49 | Bon Homme County, South Dakota | 75% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 50 | Lincoln County, South Dakota | 75% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 51 | Clark County, South Dakota | 74% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 52 | Marshall County, South Dakota | 74% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 53 | Deuel County, South Dakota | 74% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 54 | McPherson County, South Dakota | 73% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 55 | Roberts County, South Dakota | 73% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 56 | Hamlin County, South Dakota | 72% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 57 | Turner County, South Dakota | 71% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 58 | Todd County, South Dakota | 71% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 59 | Clay County, South Dakota | 70% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 60 | Day County, South Dakota | 70% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 61 | Badlands National Park, South Dakota | 68% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 62 | Brookings County, South Dakota | 68% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 63 | Union County, South Dakota | 67% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 64 | Yankton County, South Dakota | 67% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 65 | Sanborn County, South Dakota | 67% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 66 | Codington County, South Dakota | 66% | Well drained | Mollisols |
| 67 | Bennett County, South Dakota | 61% | Well drained | Mollisols |