Unicoi County, TN: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Unicoi County, TN's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 92.8% of the county. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 92.8% of Unicoi County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 186.064 square miles, home to 17,872 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Unicoi County, TN 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.

Unicoi County: conventional vs. engineered cost

92.8% of Unicoi 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 Unicoi County, TN compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Unicoi County, TN ranks 953 most-constrained nationally, and 15 of 95 within Tennessee.

Before you act on this

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