Yes, with two things to plan around. Wells are shallow here, near 150 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. Solar is weaker here, about 4.3 hours of full sun a day, so plan a bigger battery bank or a generator. Septic will likely cost more, because the soil stays wet for long stretches.
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 32 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 150 feet deep; a well typically runs $7,000 to $17,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 167 frost-free days, USDA zone 5b; last frost about May 1, first about October 16
Sun
Fair sun. Plan a larger array or a generator for winter.
About 4.3 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 in places
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 0.6 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 630 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because the soil stays wet for long stretches. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, poorly drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 1 mile (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Michigan 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
Set by the township where it has adopted its own zoning, which then replaces county zoning; elsewhere the county's zoning applies. Ask the township office which rules cover the parcel.
Building code
Michigan Residential Code (based on the International Residential Code) is the statewide minimum; no local opt-out.
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 150 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
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
$40,000 to $83,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The soil stays wet, which can rule out a standard system.
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
Call the town or township office with the parcel's address.
Set by the township where it has adopted its own zoning, which then replaces county zoning; elsewhere the county's zoning applies. Ask the township office which rules cover the parcel.
Nearby counties
102,500 people live in Bay County, about 231.7 per square mile. It ranks tied for 70th of the 83 Michigan counties we scored, and Michigan ranks 20th of 50 states.