Hayes County, NE: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Hayes County, NE: USDA's soil survey calls 46.7% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. This is the reading that pushes a project toward an engineered system rather than a conventional one, and it covers 46.7% of Hayes County's land. The county spans 713.065 square miles, home to 846 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Hayes County, NE - 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.

Hayes County: conventional vs. engineered cost

46.7% of Hayes 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, Hayes County, NE ranks 2,902 most-constrained nationally, and 87 of 93 within Nebraska.

Related guides

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