Adams County, PA Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Adams County, PA
Low
Soil across 91.8% of Adams County, PA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.72% linear extensibility. Among the 3,144 counties on this site, that's the clean result: little shrink-swell movement, standard construction the likely outcome.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Adams County, PA - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Adams County will actually do.
Adams County: the real numbers
Adams County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.
Where this sits nationally
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Adams County, PA ranks 2,255 most-constrained nationally, and 22 of 67 within Pennsylvania. Adams County covers 519 square miles and counts 107,914 residents.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Alleghany County, VA and Ashley County, AR are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania
Every county in Pennsylvania is on this site, including Union County, PA and Cambria County, PA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.