Can you live off-grid in Sacramento County, California?
74
of 100
Significant challenges
Possible, but water will be hard. Only about 18 inches of rain falls a year, so you will rely on a well (near 170 feet here) or hauled water. The growing season runs about 282 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. Flood zones cover parts of the county, so look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
What the land says
Rain
Too dry to live on rain. Plan on a well, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 18 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Typical well depth. Budget for a mid-range well.
The typical well here is about 170 feet deep; a well typically runs $10,000 to $22,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 282 frost-free days, USDA zone 9b; last frost about February 21, first about November 28
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 5.8 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones cover parts of the county. Look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
FEMA maps flood zones in parts of the county
Wildfire
Wildfire risk is high in places. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to High 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
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 3%, about 40 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because rock or a hard layer sits about 31 inches down. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, moderately 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 0.7 miles away (OpenStreetMap)
Check a California 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 Sacramento County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
The California Building Standards Code (Title 24) applies statewide and every city and county must enforce it, so a new house needs a permit however remote. A county may adopt the state's optional rules for owner-built rural homes, which relax some standards but still require a permit.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
Water rights
A mix of two systems. Ask the state water office before you drill a well or dam a creek.
Drilled to about 170 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $32,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$4,000 to $10,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $5,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$42,000 to $89,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones cover parts of the county. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Rock or a hard layer sits about 31 inches down, which can rule out a standard system.
Road access
Confirm a recorded easement to the parcel.
The nearest roads are often dirt tracks.
Nearby counties
1,584,288 people live in Sacramento County, about 1641.3 per square mile. It ranks tied for 18th of the 58 California counties we scored, and California ranks 45th of 50 states.