[Objective] The characteristics and response of soil water to land use change(LUC) on Baicao loess tableland were demonstrated to provide information for water resources management and ecological construction. [Methods] Soil water contents in 0-10 m profile were measured under six typical land use types (farmland, grassland, alfalfa, apricot, apricot-caragana, and apricot-alfalfa land), and soil water storage(SWS), soil water deficit(SWD) and soil desiccation index(SDI) were calculated. [Results] The average soil water contents under the six land use types ranked as farmland > grassland > alfalfa > apricot > apricot-caragana > apricot-alfalfa. The depth of water profiles being influenced by vegetation were different. The effects of alfalfa and grassland on water content concentrated in 0-5 m profile, while the effects of other land use types as apricot, apricot-caragana, and apricot-alfalfa were detected in the whole measured profile, it was as deepen as 10 m. Except for farmland, SDIs were very large for all land use types in 0-5 m depth. In 5-10 m profile, SDIs were comparatively small under farmland, grassland and alfalfa; and were moderate under apricot and apricot-caragana; exhibited the largest under apricot-alfalfa. [Conclusion] The conversion from farmland to other land use types with apricot greatly impacted soil water at deep soil profile. These land use types reduced SWS and deteriorated soil water condition by desiccation.