Yes, with one thing to plan around. Water is easy here, with about 40 inches of rain a year and wells near 70 feet. The ground is mostly flat and drains well, which keeps building simple. Solar is weaker here, about 4.4 hours of full sun a day, so plan a bigger battery bank or a generator.
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 70 feet deep; a well typically runs $4,000 to $10,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 171 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about April 30, first about October 19
Sun
Fair sun. Plan a larger array or a generator for winter.
About 4.4 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 parts of the county
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 2 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 2%, about 850 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, 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 0.4 miles (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 70 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
$32,000 to $67,000
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
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.
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
51,642 people live in Cass County, about 105.4 per square mile. It ranks tied for 5th of the 83 Michigan counties we scored, and Michigan ranks 20th of 50 states.