Macon County, IL: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Macon County, IL: USDA's soil survey calls 95.3% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. Practically, that rules out a simple gravity system for most of the county - 95.3% of it sits in USDA's most-constrained bucket. The county spans 580.548 square miles, home to 100,737 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Macon County, IL at once, not any single address. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Macon County: conventional vs. engineered cost

95.3% of Macon 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 Macon County, IL compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Macon County, IL ranks 625 most-constrained nationally, and 32 of 101 within Illinois.

Before you act on this

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