Cottonwood County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

USDA puts Cottonwood County, MN at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 90.4% of the county's soil. This is the reading that pushes a project toward an engineered system rather than a conventional one, and it covers 90.4% of Cottonwood County's land. The county spans 639.973 square miles, home to 11,338 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Cottonwood 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.

Cottonwood County: conventional vs. engineered cost

90.4% of Cottonwood 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.

Cottonwood County's rank among Minnesota counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Cottonwood County, MN ranks 1,222 most-constrained nationally, and 43 of 86 within Minnesota.

Before you act on this

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