Delaware Soil Drainage Rankings
How well does the soil drain across Delaware? We ranked every USDA survey area by the percentage of land classified as "well drained." Areas at the top of the list have soils where water moves through at a healthy rate — favorable for building, septic, and gardening. Areas at the bottom have more waterlogged or slowly-draining soils that may require engineered solutions.
The best-drained survey area is New Castle County, Delaware at 59% well-drained soils. The most drainage-challenged is Sussex County, Delaware at 27%. 40% of the land in Sussex County, Delaware is poorly drained, so building, septic and gardening there often call for drainage work, engineered septic designs or raised beds.
stays wet (poorly drained)in between, or not ratedwell drained
| # | Survey Area | Land by drainage | Well Drained | Poorly Drained | Most common class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Castle County, Delaware | 59% | 20% | Well drained | |
| 2 | Kent County, Delaware | 34% | 50% | Well drained | |
| 3 | Sussex County, Delaware | 27% | 40% | Well drained |