The quality grades of cultivated land in Yueyang City were evaluated by the Telfer method and hierarchical analysis method. The obstacle degree function model was used to divide the type areas of cultivated land quality obstacle factors. And the main obstacle type areas of arable land in the lower plains, lower hills and central hills were analyzed. The results show that: 1) The average quality grade of cultivated land is 4.61, which is satisfactory and mainly consists of medium- and high-grade cultivated land, with a total area of 2.795×105 hm2, accounting for about 80% of the whole cultivated land area; the high-grade cultivated land is mainly distributed in the lower parts of plains and highland, while the medium- and low-grade cultivated land are mainly distributed in the lower plains, lower hills, and central hills. 2) Among the high-grade cultivated land, the main obstacle for the paddy fields in the lower plains are the drainage capacity barrier and available phosphorus barrier, the barrier area accounted for 50.03% and 41.72% respectively; the main obstacle for the paddy fields in the central hills is the fast-acting potassium barrier, the barrier area accounted for 45.26%; and the main obstacle in lower hills is pH, the area with pH barrier accounted for 32.37%. In the medium-grade cultivated land, the drainage capacity barrier is dominant in the paddy fields located in the lower plains and lower hills, and the barrier area accounted for 52.51% and 53.89% respectively; the irrigation capacity barrier is dominant in the central hills, and the barrier area accounted for 33.96%. In the low-grade cultivated land, the main obstacle factor of paddy fields in the lower plains, central hills, and lower hills is the drainage capacity, and the obstacle area accounted for 92.06%. All the drylands in the lower plains, lower hills and central hills are dominated by the irrigation capacity barrier type.