Yes, with one thing to plan around. Water is easy here, with about 41 inches of rain a year and wells near 60 feet. Solar is weaker here, about 4.3 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 41 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 60 feet deep; a well typically runs $4,000 to $9,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 178 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about April 29, first about October 22
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 are rare here. Still, look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps no flood zones nearby
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 5%, about 1,130 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 0.3 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Ohio 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. County zoning applies only in a township whose voters approved it, so ask the township office which rules cover the parcel.
Building code
The Residential Code of Ohio covers every one- to three-family home statewide, but only certified city, township, or county building departments enforce it. Where none covers the parcel, there are no plans to submit or inspections to request, though the house must still meet the code.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Drilled to about 60 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 $7,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$31,000 to $64,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Zoning
Call the town or township office with the parcel's address.
Set by the township. County zoning applies only in a township whose voters approved it, so 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.
Road access
Confirm the parcel fronts a public road or has a recorded easement.
Without one, you may not have a legal way in.
Nearby counties
535,733 people live in Summit County, about 1297.8 per square mile. It ranks tied for 29th of the 88 Ohio counties we scored, and Ohio ranks 18th of 50 states.