Yes, with one thing to plan around. Wells are shallow here, near 20 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. 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 39 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 20 feet deep; a well typically runs $3,000 to $7,000
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 180 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about April 18, first about October 16
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.9 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 to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 2%, about 510 feet above sea level
Soil
Sandy and fast-draining. Septic may need an extra treatment step, and garden beds need compost to hold water. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, excessively 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 1 mile (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Illinois parcel, or plan the one you own
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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 Mason 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 20 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
$30,000 to $63,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Sandy ground drains fast, and some counties require an extra treatment step.
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.
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
12,523 people live in Mason County, about 23.2 per square mile. It ranks tied for 47th of the 102 Illinois counties we scored, and Illinois ranks 11th of 50 states.