Can you live off-grid in Rockingham County, New Hampshire?
91
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with one thing to plan around. Water is easy here, with about 46 inches of rain a year and wells near 200 feet. 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. The sandy soil dries fast, so plan to water the garden.
About 46 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Typical well depth. Budget for a mid-range well.
The typical well here is about 200 feet deep; a well typically runs $10,000 to $22,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 172 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about April 29, first about October 18
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.7 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 to 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 0.8 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 3%, about 190 feet above sea level
Soil
Sandy and fast-draining. Septic may need an extra treatment step, and garden beds need compost to hold water. The county's soil test decides.
Loamy sand, excessively 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 New Hampshire 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 town, not the county. The rules depend on which town the parcel is in.
Building code
The New Hampshire State Building Code, which uses the 2024 International Residential Code for homes since July 2026, applies in every town. Towns that choose to enforce it issue permits and inspect; elsewhere the state fire marshal may enforce it at the town's request.
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 200 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$21,000 to $33,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$3,000 to $9,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$40,000 to $78,000
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.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Sandy ground drains fast, and some counties require an extra treatment step.
Zoning
Call the town office with the parcel's address.
Zoning here is set by the town, not the county.
Nearby counties
320,689 people live in Rockingham County, about 461.2 per square mile. It ranks tied for 2nd of the 10 New Hampshire counties we scored, and New Hampshire ranks 23rd of 50 states.