Can you live off-grid in Worcester County, Maryland?
94
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with one thing to plan around. Water is easy here, with about 47 inches of rain a year and wells near 90 feet. The growing season runs about 224 frost-free days. NOAA counts two hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975, so build to the wind code and plan for long outages.
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 47 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 90 feet deep; a well typically runs $5,000 to $12,000
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 224 frost-free days, USDA zone 8a; last frost about April 2, first about November 15
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.0 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps flood zones within a quarter mile in places
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low here
Storms
Expect about one hurricane within 50 miles over 30 years. Build to the wind code and keep a week of fuel and water.
NOAA: two hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975; about 0.3 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 30 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 0.7 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Maryland 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
Worcester County zones land outside its towns and publishes its zoning map. Our free lookup shows the district for any address.
Building code
Maryland has a statewide building code, the Maryland Building Performance Standards (based on the 2021 International Residential Code for homes), and every county, or in some places the city or town, must enforce it with building permits, inspections, and an occupancy certificate.
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 90 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$21,000 to $35,000
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
$34,000 to $68,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Zoning
Look up the parcel's zoning district with our free tool.
The county publishes its zoning map.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
Nearby counties
54,171 people live in Worcester County, about 115.7 per square mile. It ranks tied for 11th of the 23 Maryland counties we scored, and Maryland ranks 5th of 50 states.