Can you live off-grid in Christian County, Illinois?
92
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with one thing to plan around. Wells are shallow here, near 50 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. The ground is mostly flat and drains well, which keeps building simple. NOAA counts about five strong tornadoes a decade within 25 miles, so a storm shelter belongs in the plan.
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 40 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 50 feet deep; a well typically runs $4,000 to $9,000
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 184 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about April 15, first about October 17
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.8 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 here
Storms
Strong tornadoes are common. A storm shelter belongs in the plan.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 5 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat, but the ground stays wet. Build on the higher, drier spot.
Slopes average about 1%, about 610 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt loam, moderately well drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 0.8 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Illinois 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 Christian County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Illinois does not require counties or cities to adopt a building code, and where a county has none there is no county building permit for a house. Since January 1, 2025, any local code that is adopted must be at least as strong as the International Residential Code on structural design.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Drilled to about 50 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
$3,000 to $8,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$31,000 to $65,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
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.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
Road access
Confirm the parcel fronts a public road or has a recorded easement.
Without one, you may not have a legal way in.
Nearby counties
33,228 people live in Christian County, about 46.8 per square mile. It ranks tied for 24th of the 102 Illinois counties we scored, and Illinois ranks 11th of 50 states.