Yes. We found no major drawback on the land. Water is easy here, with about 40 inches of rain a year and wells near 120 feet. The ground is mostly flat and drains well, which keeps building simple.
What the land says
Rain
Rain can supply much of a household's water with a large tank. A garden mostly waters itself in normal years.
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 120 feet deep; a well typically runs $6,000 to $13,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 169 frost-free days, USDA zone 5b; last frost about April 28, first about October 15
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.7 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 pass through now and then. A safe room is worth pricing.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 3 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 710 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
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 1 mile (OpenStreetMap)
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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 White County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Indiana Residential Code (based on the International Residential Code) is the statewide minimum; enforcement is local.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Drilled to about 120 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
$33,000 to $68,000
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
24,917 people live in White County, about 49.3 per square mile. It ranks tied for 40th of the 92 Indiana counties we scored, and Indiana ranks 6th of 50 states.