Yes, with one thing to plan around. Wells are shallow here, near 120 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. NOAA counts about four strong tornadoes a decade within 25 miles, so a storm shelter belongs in the plan.
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 30 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 120 feet deep; a well typically runs $6,000 to $14,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 158 frost-free days, USDA zone 5a; last frost about April 30, first about October 7
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.9 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 across much of the county
Wildfire
Wildfire risk is high in places. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to High here
Storms
Strong tornadoes are common. A storm shelter belongs in the plan.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 4 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Rolling ground. Look for a flat house site.
Slopes average about 10%, about 1,280 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt 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 Nebraska 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 Dakota County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
The state building code (the 2018 International Residential Code for homes) applies statewide except to farm buildings, but permits and inspections come only from a county, city, or village that has chosen to enforce a code.
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 120 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
$33,000 to $70,000
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 county planning office with the parcel number.
There is no public zoning map, so we cannot tell whether the land is zoned.
Wildfire
Ask an insurance agent whether they will write a policy.
The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high in places.
Nearby counties
21,268 people live in Dakota County, about 80.5 per square mile. It ranks tied for 9th of the 93 Nebraska counties we scored, and Nebraska ranks 32nd of 50 states.