Pennsylvania Soil Drainage Rankings
How well does the soil drain across Pennsylvania? 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 Dauphin County, Pennsylvania at 86% well-drained soils. The most drainage-challenged is Erie County, Pennsylvania at 7%. With 67% poorly-drained soils, properties in Erie County, Pennsylvania should budget for drainage engineering, alternative septic designs, or raised-bed gardening.