Septic suitability in McIntosh County, GA
Very limited
USDA puts McIntosh County, GA at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 84.9% of the county's soil. A standard gravity system routinely fails on ground like this; the same share of the county falls in USDA's worst absorption-field bucket outright. The county spans 431.347 square miles, home to 11,800 people.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in McIntosh County, GA - 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.
McIntosh County: conventional vs. engineered cost
84.9% of McIntosh 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 McIntosh County, GA compares
Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, McIntosh County, GA ranks 1,701 most-constrained nationally, and 45 of 159 within Georgia.
Related guides
How this rating is built, and its real limits · Conventional vs. engineered septic systems