Cattaraugus County, NY: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

USDA puts Cattaraugus County, NY at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 97% of the county's soil. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 97% of Cattaraugus County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 1,308.183 square miles, home to 75,475 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Cattaraugus County, NY - never a reading for one specific parcel. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Cattaraugus County: conventional vs. engineered cost

97% of Cattaraugus 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.

How Cattaraugus County, NY compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Cattaraugus County, NY ranks 376 most-constrained nationally, and 9 of 61 within New York.

Further reading

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