Can you live off-grid in Greenwood County, Kansas?
84
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with one thing to plan around. Wells are shallow here, near 30 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high across much of the county, so plan cleared ground around the house.
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 38 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 30 feet deep; a well typically runs $3,000 to $6,000
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 190 frost-free days, USDA zone 6b; last frost about April 15, first about October 22
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.3 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 across much of the county. Plan cleared ground around the house and fire-resistant materials.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to High 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 2 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 5%, about 1,160 feet above sea level
Soil
Heavy clay. Expect a larger septic field, and work compost into garden beds. The county's soil test decides.
Silty clay, 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 0.2 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Kansas 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 Greenwood County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
No mandatory statewide residential code. Counties adopt their own or none.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
A mix of two systems. Ask the state water office before you drill a well or dam a creek.
Drilled to about 30 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 $7,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$29,000 to $61,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Clay drains slowly and can fail the test.
Wildfire
Ask an insurance agent whether they will write a policy.
The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high across much of the county.
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.
Nearby counties
5,870 people live in Greenwood County, about 5.1 per square mile. It ranks tied for 85th of the 105 Kansas counties we scored, and Kansas ranks 27th of 50 states.