Mercer County, OH Septic Rating

Mercer County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

USDA puts Mercer County, OH at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 95.1% of the county's soil. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; that share is already USDA's strictest bucket, not a lesser constraint layered on top. The county spans 462 square miles, home to 42,648 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Nothing about Mercer County, OH's SSURGO figure applies to a specific address - it's a county-wide average. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Mercer County: conventional vs. engineered cost

95.1% of Mercer 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.

Mercer County's rank among Ohio counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Mercer County, OH ranks 661 most-constrained nationally, and 56 of 87 within Ohio.

Further reading

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