Can you live off-grid in Las Animas County, Colorado?
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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 6.1 hours of full sun a day, so a smaller solar array covers a household. The nearest roads are often dirt tracks, so plan to build or maintain your own access.
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
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 153 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about May 5, first about October 6
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 6.1 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
Wildfire risk is high in places. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low 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
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 7%, about 5,640 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Dirt tracks. Plan to build or maintain your own road.
Nearest road often a dirt track, about 1.3 miles away (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Colorado 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
Rural land here is often unzoned. Confirm with the county before you build.
Building code
No statewide residential building code: each county decides whether to adopt one, and some rural counties, such as Saguache, have none. State electrical and plumbing permits and inspections still apply wherever the county does not issue its own.
Rainwater
Allowed with limits. Check the state's rules before you size a tank.
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
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$8,000 to $19,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$38,000 to $81,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Road access
Confirm a recorded easement to the parcel.
The nearest roads are often dirt tracks.
Zoning
Confirm with the county whether the parcel is zoned.
Rural land in Colorado is often unzoned.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
Nearby counties
14,348 people live in Las Animas County, about 3 per square mile. It ranks tied for 39th of the 64 Colorado counties we scored, and Colorado ranks 37th of 50 states.