Which Georgia counties score best for off-grid living?

Of the 158 Georgia counties we have scored, Carroll County scores highest at 99 and Chatham County lowest at 70. Georgia ranks 4th of 50 overall, at 92 out of 100 (Good with caveats). Buildability separates its counties most: 1 to 10 out of 10.

Updated 2026-09-27 · 158 counties · 770 spots of private rural land scored

Good with caveatsGeorgia ranks 4th of 50, 92 out of 100, in the Best States ranking: the typical parcel on the state's private rural land, with each scored spot weighted by the land it stands for. On a fresh draw of counties it would rank between #2 and #7. City counties with little private rural land have no page, and any parcel can be scored, free, below.

Every scored county in Georgia, best score first

Find a county158 counties


Carroll → 255 people / sq mi	99	25	20	15	14	15	10
Franklin → 95 people / sq mi	99	24	20	15	15	15	10
Oglethorpe → 36 people / sq mi	99	24	20	15	15	15	10
Hart → 119 people / sq mi	98	25	19	15	14	15	10
Lee → 95 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	15	14	10
Madison → 114 people / sq mi	98	24	20	15	14	15	10
Sumter → 60 people / sq mi	98	25	20	15	14	14	10
Taliaferro → 8 people / sq mi	98	25	20	15	14	14	10
White → 121 people / sq mi	98	25	20	15	14	15	9
Houston → 457 people / sq mi	97	23	20	15	14	15	10
Lamar → 111 people / sq mi	97	24	20	15	13	15	10
Oconee → 240 people / sq mi	97	24	20	15	14	14	10
Peach → 192 people / sq mi	97	25	20	15	14	13	10
Rockdale → 739 people / sq mi	97	24	20	15	13	15	10
Seminole → 38 people / sq mi	97	25	20	14	14	14	10
Banks → 85 people / sq mi	96	22	20	15	15	14	10
Bleckley → 58 people / sq mi	96	24	20	15	15	13	9
Crawford → 38 people / sq mi	96	25	20	15	13	13	10
Dawson → 151 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	14	14	9
Decatur → 49 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	14	13	10
Douglas → 745 people / sq mi	96	25	20	15	13	14	9
Early → 21 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	14	13	10
Fulton → 2049 people / sq mi	96	25	19	15	13	15	9
Harris → 79 people / sq mi	96	25	20	15	12	14	10
Lincoln → 38 people / sq mi	96	25	19	15	13	14	10
Meriwether → 42 people / sq mi	96	24	20	15	12	15	10
Morgan → 62 people / sq mi	96	22	20	15	14	15	10
Newton → 439 people / sq mi	96	25	18	15	14	14	10
Stephens → 152 people / sq mi	96	24	20	15	14	14	9
Terrell → 26 people / sq mi	96	25	20	15	14	12	10
Thomas → 84 people / sq mi	96	24	20	14	14	14	10
Towns → 78 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	14	14	9
Walker → 156 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	12	15	10
Wilkes → 20 people / sq mi	96	24	19	15	14	14	10
Barrow → 576 people / sq mi	95	24	18	15	14	15	9
Calhoun → 20 people / sq mi	95	24	20	15	13	13	10
Candler → 46 people / sq mi	95	22	20	15	15	13	10
Clarke → 1089 people / sq mi	95	25	18	15	14	14	9
Clay → 15 people / sq mi	95	25	19	15	13	13	10
Coweta → 353 people / sq mi	95	23	20	15	12	15	10
Dooly → 28 people / sq mi	95	24	18	15	14	14	10
Elbert → 57 people / sq mi	95	24	19	15	14	13	10
Forsyth → 1215 people / sq mi	95	25	17	15	14	15	9
Gordon → 168 people / sq mi	95	25	20	15	12	13	10
Greene → 54 people / sq mi	95	23	20	15	14	13	10
Hall → 553 people / sq mi	95	24	19	15	14	14	9
Jackson → 261 people / sq mi	95	24	18	15	14	14	10
Johnson → 31 people / sq mi	95	24	20	15	14	13	9
Miller → 20 people / sq mi	95	25	18	14	15	13	10
Pulaski → 41 people / sq mi	95	25	20	15	14	12	9
Quitman → 15 people / sq mi	95	23	20	15	14	13	10
Randolph → 14 people / sq mi	95	24	19	15	14	13	10
Troup → 171 people / sq mi	95	24	20	15	12	14	10
Union → 84 people / sq mi	95	24	20	14	14	14	9
Walton → 327 people / sq mi	95	23	18	15	14	15	10
Webster → 11 people / sq mi	95	25	19	15	14	13	9
Wilcox → 23 people / sq mi	95	25	20	15	14	12	9
Wilkinson → 19 people / sq mi	95	25	20	15	12	14	9
Baker → 8 people / sq mi	94	25	19	14	13	13	10
Baldwin → 168 people / sq mi	94	25	20	15	12	13	9
Bryan → 114 people / sq mi	94	25	20	14	14	12	9
Clayton → 2104 people / sq mi	94	24	19	15	12	14	10
Columbia → 569 people / sq mi	94	25	20	15	10	15	9
Cook → 78 people / sq mi	94	23	20	14	14	13	10
Fayette → 634 people / sq mi	94	25	20	15	11	14	9
Floyd → 196 people / sq mi	94	25	19	15	11	14	10
Hancock → 18 people / sq mi	94	24	19	15	14	13	9
Irwin → 26 people / sq mi	94	23	20	15	13	13	10
Jasper → 45 people / sq mi	94	24	20	15	11	15	9
Laurens → 62 people / sq mi	94	24	19	15	14	13	9
McDuffie → 85 people / sq mi	94	24	20	15	12	14	9
Monroe → 77 people / sq mi	94	23	20	15	12	15	9
Muscogee → 933 people / sq mi	94	25	19	15	13	13	9
Putnam → 67 people / sq mi	94	23	20	15	12	15	9
Schley → 27 people / sq mi	94	25	20	15	12	13	9
Taylor → 21 people / sq mi	94	25	20	15	14	12	8
Twiggs → 21 people / sq mi	94	24	20	15	12	14	9
Upson → 87 people / sq mi	94	24	20	15	11	15	9
Warren → 18 people / sq mi	94	25	20	15	12	13	9
Bartow → 251 people / sq mi	93	25	20	14	11	14	9
Ben Hill → 69 people / sq mi	93	23	20	15	13	13	9
Bulloch → 125 people / sq mi	93	23	20	15	14	12	9
Burke → 30 people / sq mi	93	24	19	15	13	13	9
Butts → 146 people / sq mi	93	24	20	15	11	14	9
Chattahoochee → 35 people / sq mi	93	22	20	15	13	13	10
Crisp → 72 people / sq mi	93	25	19	14	14	12	9
Dougherty → 252 people / sq mi	93	25	19	14	12	13	10
Gwinnett → 2281 people / sq mi	93	24	17	15	14	14	9
Habersham → 176 people / sq mi	93	24	19	15	14	13	8
Henry → 799 people / sq mi	93	23	17	15	13	15	10
Pike → 95 people / sq mi	93	24	19	15	11	14	10
Polk → 143 people / sq mi	93	25	20	14	13	13	8
Talbot → 15 people / sq mi	93	24	20	15	11	14	9
Bibb → 628 people / sq mi	92	24	20	15	12	13	8
Chattooga → 81 people / sq mi	92	25	20	14	10	14	9
Colquitt → 84 people / sq mi	92	23	20	14	13	13	9
Dade → 93 people / sq mi	92	25	19	14	11	14	9
DeKalb → 2850 people / sq mi	92	24	17	15	13	14	9
Dodge → 40 people / sq mi	92	24	19	15	12	13	9
Fannin → 67 people / sq mi	92	25	19	14	13	13	8
Heard → 41 people / sq mi	92	24	20	15	10	14	9
Jefferson → 29 people / sq mi	92	23	20	15	12	13	9
Jones → 74 people / sq mi	92	24	20	15	11	13	9
Spalding → 357 people / sq mi	92	24	20	15	10	14	9
Stewart → 10 people / sq mi	92	23	19	15	14	12	9
Tift → 159 people / sq mi	92	23	20	15	12	13	9
Washington → 29 people / sq mi	92	24	19	15	12	13	9
Worth → 36 people / sq mi	92	23	20	14	13	13	9
Berrien → 41 people / sq mi	91	22	19	15	15	12	8
Catoosa → 425 people / sq mi	91	25	19	14	10	13	10
Cherokee → 681 people / sq mi	91	24	19	15	12	13	8
Glascock → 21 people / sq mi	91	25	18	15	12	13	8
Grady → 57 people / sq mi	91	24	19	14	13	13	8
Haralson → 114 people / sq mi	91	25	20	15	12	12	7
Marion → 20 people / sq mi	91	23	19	15	12	13	9
Mitchell → 41 people / sq mi	91	22	19	14	13	13	10
Murray → 119 people / sq mi	91	25	20	14	12	13	7
Paulding → 586 people / sq mi	91	25	20	14	10	13	9
Richmond → 633 people / sq mi	91	25	20	15	10	12	9
Tattnall → 51 people / sq mi	91	21	20	14	14	13	9
Treutlen → 32 people / sq mi	91	24	20	15	12	12	8
Turner → 31 people / sq mi	91	23	20	15	12	13	8
Whitfield → 357 people / sq mi	91	25	20	14	11	13	8
Atkinson → 24 people / sq mi	90	21	20	15	14	12	8
Gilmer → 77 people / sq mi	90	25	20	14	11	13	7
Jenkins → 25 people / sq mi	90	24	19	15	12	12	8
Screven → 22 people / sq mi	90	24	19	15	12	12	8
Wheeler → 24 people / sq mi	90	23	20	15	12	12	8
Bacon → 39 people / sq mi	89	21	20	14	14	11	9
Evans → 59 people / sq mi	89	22	20	14	14	11	8
Jeff Davis → 45 people / sq mi	89	21	20	14	15	12	7
Lumpkin → 125 people / sq mi	89	24	20	14	12	12	7
Macon → 30 people / sq mi	89	22	20	15	11	12	9
Toombs → 74 people / sq mi	89	20	20	15	12	13	9
Appling → 36 people / sq mi	88	21	19	15	12	12	9
Brooks → 33 people / sq mi	88	25	20	14	11	11	7
Echols → 9 people / sq mi	88	23	19	15	14	10	7
Montgomery → 36 people / sq mi	88	21	20	14	12	12	9
Pickens → 155 people / sq mi	88	24	20	14	13	11	6
Telfair → 25 people / sq mi	88	23	19	15	12	11	8
Emanuel → 34 people / sq mi	87	21	18	15	12	13	8
Lowndes → 243 people / sq mi	87	24	19	14	12	11	7
Pierce → 60 people / sq mi	87	19	20	15	15	11	7
Coffee → 73 people / sq mi	86	22	20	14	11	11	8
Lanier → 53 people / sq mi	86	22	20	14	12	11	7
Effingham → 149 people / sq mi	85	23	17	14	13	11	7
Charlton → 17 people / sq mi	84	19	20	14	13	11	7
Rabun → 47 people / sq mi	84	25	20	15	10	11	3
Ware → 40 people / sq mi	84	21	20	15	11	11	6
Brantley → 42 people / sq mi	83	20	19	15	12	11	6
McIntosh → 27 people / sq mi	83	17	19	14	14	12	7
Clinch → 8 people / sq mi	82	19	19	15	12	11	6
Long → 49 people / sq mi	81	20	19	14	11	11	6
Glynn → 205 people / sq mi	79	18	19	15	11	12	4
Liberty → 134 people / sq mi	78	20	20	14	9	11	4
Wayne → 49 people / sq mi	78	18	20	14	11	10	5
Camden → 92 people / sq mi	75	20	16	15	9	10	5
Chatham → 702 people / sq mi	70	20	19	14	7	9	1

Score is out of 100: Water 25, Legal 20, Solar 15, Hazard 15, Food 15, Buildability 10. Green cells score 80% or better of their maximum; amber cells under 70%.

Where the good land is

95% of Georgia's private rural land scores Good with caveats or better (80 or more). The strongest counties are Carroll, Franklin and Oglethorpe. The weakest are Chatham, Camden and Liberty. Where the land falls short, it is most often on building (slope, septic and land price) and hazards (flood, fire, storms and earthquakes).

What separates them

Buildability: Carroll County scores 10 of 10, Chatham County 1. Slope, the septic the ground needs, footings, and the county's land price. A steep or soggy lot that fails a septic test is the dealbreaker photos hide.
Hazard: Franklin County scores 15 of 15, Chatham County 7. Flood, wildfire, seismic, and severe-weather exposure: the risks that raise insurance and build cost or strand a parcel.
Food: Carroll County scores 15 of 15, Chatham County 9. Soil quality, frost-free growing days, and rainfall: what decides whether you can actually feed yourself and your animals.
Water: Carroll County scores 25 of 25, McIntosh County 17. Drinking, system, and irrigation water, the #1 reason off-grid and homestead plans collapse. A low score means a deep, costly well or hauled water.
Legal: Carroll County scores 20 of 20, Camden County 16. Whether you can reach the land and live on it: road access, distance to emergency care, internet and cell, and how built up the area is, which decides how many lot-size, livestock, and zoning rules you will meet.

Solar barely moves across the sample: the counties score within two points of each other there, so those are state-level facts, not county choices.

The state's soft spot

Hazard is Georgia's weakest dimension, at 13 of 15 for the state as a whole. Flood, wildfire, seismic, and severe-weather exposure: the risks that raise insurance and build cost or strand a parcel. Getting a parcel here off-grid runs $29k to $120k by our estimates across these counties, before the house. The full Georgia row in the Best States ranking has the state-wide spread and how the popular off-grid guides rank it.

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Before you buy in Georgia

The scores read the physical land. Whether you may legally live on it is a separate question, and it changes at the county line: Is it legal to live off-grid in Georgia? covers zoning, building code, septic, and wells for the state, with the counties that opt out. For the reason water carries a quarter of the score, how you get water on off-grid land is the read. And the five-point check is the order to do it in.

Good with caveatsGeorgia: 92 of 100, 4th of 50. A good state is not a good parcel. Score the one you are looking at, free, in about a minute.

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