Jerome County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

USDA puts Jerome County, ID at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 90.1% of the county's soil. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 90.1% of Jerome County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 597.545 square miles, home to 26,056 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

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

Jerome County: conventional vs. engineered cost

90.1% of Jerome 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 Jerome County, ID compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Jerome County, ID ranks 1,259 most-constrained nationally, and 16 of 44 within Idaho.

Further reading

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