Calhoun County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Calhoun County, IL: USDA's soil survey calls 63.3% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 63.3% of Calhoun County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 253.829 square miles, home to 4,224 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Calhoun County's rating is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Calhoun County: conventional vs. engineered cost

63.3% of Calhoun County carrying a "Very limited" reading changes the realistic budget here. Conventional systems run $3,000-$8,000 where they pass; where they don't, engineered alternatives (mound or aerobic treatment, whichever the health department requires) run $10,000-$40,000 - budget toward the higher figure until a perc test says otherwise.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Calhoun County, IL ranks 2,651 most-constrained nationally, and 88 of 101 within Illinois.

Further reading

How this rating is built, and its real limits · Conventional vs. engineered septic systems