Yates County, NY: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Yates County, NY: USDA's soil survey calls 76.8% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. Practically, that rules out a simple gravity system for most of the county - 76.8% of it sits in USDA's most-constrained bucket. The county spans 338.168 square miles, home to 24,387 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Nothing about Yates County, NY'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.

Yates County: conventional vs. engineered cost

76.8% of Yates 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 Yates County, NY compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Yates County, NY ranks 2,191 most-constrained nationally, and 49 of 61 within New York.

Further reading

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