Carter County, KY: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Carter County, KY's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 93.8% of the county. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 93.8% of the county. The county spans 409.497 square miles, home to 26,098 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Carter 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.

Carter County: conventional vs. engineered cost

93.8% of Carter 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.

Carter County's rank among Kentucky counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Carter County, KY ranks 821 most-constrained nationally, and 38 of 119 within Kentucky.

Before you act on this

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