Can you live off-grid in Clinton County, Michigan?
92
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with one thing to plan around. 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 helps, but plan on a well for most of your water and on watering the garden in dry months.
About 34 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Typical well depth. Budget for a mid-range well.
The typical well here is about 240 feet deep; a well typically runs $11,000 to $24,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 160 frost-free days, USDA zone 5b; last frost about May 3, first about October 11
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 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 3%, about 730 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 0.6 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 240 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
$38,000 to $80,000
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
79,720 people live in Clinton County, about 140.5 per square mile. It ranks tied for 12th of the 83 Michigan counties we scored, and Michigan ranks 20th of 50 states.