Can you live off-grid in Greenlee County, Arizona?
74
of 100
Significant challenges
Possible, but water will be hard. Only about 16 inches of rain falls a year, so you will rely on a well (near 130 feet here) or hauled water. The sun is strong, about 6.5 hours of full sun a day, so a smaller solar array covers a household. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 26%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation.
What the land says
Rain
Too dry to live on rain. Plan on a well, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 16 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Shallow wells, so drilling should be one of the cheaper costs.
The typical well here is about 130 feet deep; a well typically runs $6,000 to $14,000
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 213 frost-free days, USDA zone 8a; last frost about April 4, first about November 10
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 6.5 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones are rare here. Still, look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps no flood zones nearby
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Moderate here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Terrain
Steep. A flat house site and a driveway route will drive the cost.
Slopes average about 26%, about 4,940 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because the ground is steep. The county's soil test decides.
Clay loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
Road
Dirt tracks. Plan to build or maintain your own road.
Nearest road often a dirt track, about 1 mile away (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Arizona parcel, or plan the one you own
Get a free 0-100 off-grid score.
A step-by-step build plan, sizing your solar, water, garden, septic, heat, and buildings.
Is it legal here?
Zoning
We found no public zoning map for Greenlee County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
No statewide residential building code: each county and city decides whether to adopt one, and a county may exempt land zoned rural or unclassified. State law still requires a county building permit for any building or addition costing over $1,000, even where the county has no code.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Water belongs to whoever claimed it first. A new well or pond may need a state permit, and a creek may already be claimed.
Drilled to about 130 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
Solar and batteries
$17,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$8,000 to $20,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$42,000 to $91,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Steep ground can rule out a standard system.
Road access
Confirm a recorded easement to the parcel.
The nearest roads are often dirt tracks.
Zoning
Call the county planning office with the parcel number.
There is no public zoning map, so we cannot tell whether the land is zoned.
Nearby counties
9,369 people live in Greenlee County, about 5.1 per square mile. It ranks tied for 2nd of the 15 Arizona counties we scored, and Arizona ranks 48th of 50 states.