Can you live off-grid in Siskiyou County, California?
72
of 100
Significant challenges
Possible, but the steep ground will be hard. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 37%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation. Wells are shallow here, near 70 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. The growing season is only about 142 frost-free days, so plan on cold-hardy crops and a greenhouse.
What the land says
Rain
Rain helps, but plan on a well for most of your water and on watering the garden in dry months.
About 28 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 70 feet deep; a well typically runs $5,000 to $12,000
Growing season
Short. Start seeds indoors and favor cold-hardy crops.
About 142 frost-free days, USDA zone 8a; last frost about May 21, first about October 14
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 5.6 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps flood zones within a quarter mile in places
Wildfire
Wildfire risk is high in parts of the county. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Moderate to Very 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
Steep. A flat house site and a driveway route will drive the cost.
Slopes average about 37%, about 3,870 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because rock or a hard layer sits about 38 inches down. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 1.2 miles (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 Siskiyou 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 70 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
$38,000 to $79,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Rock or a hard layer sits about 38 inches down, which can rule out a standard system.
Wildfire
Ask an insurance agent whether they will write a policy.
The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high in parts of the county.
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
42,905 people live in Siskiyou County, about 6.8 per square mile. It ranks tied for 25th of the 58 California counties we scored, and California ranks 45th of 50 states.