Can you live off-grid in Gregory County, South Dakota?
77
of 100
Significant challenges
Possible, but water will be hard. Typical well depths here range from 50 feet to 1,020 feet, so get a local driller's quote. Septic will likely cost more, because rock or a hard layer sits about 33 inches down.
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 25 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Well depth varies a lot here. Get a local driller's quote before you offer.
Typical well depths here range from 50 feet to 1,020 feet
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 156 frost-free days, USDA zone 5a; last frost about May 4, first about October 9
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.1 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 to Moderate here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 1 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Rolling ground. Look for a flat house site.
Slopes average about 13%, about 2,060 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because rock or a hard layer sits about 33 inches down. The county's soil test decides.
Silty clay, well drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 1.6 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a South Dakota 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
Rural land here is often unzoned. Confirm with the county before you build.
Building code
South Dakota has no statewide residential building code: a city that chooses to regulate houses must use the 2024 International Residential Code and may not be stricter, and the state's default building standard excludes homes and farmsteads. Whether a rural house needs a building permit depends on the county, so ask before you buy.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Water belongs to whoever claimed it first. A new well or pond may need a state permit, and a creek may already be claimed.
Depends on depth, which varies here. Get a driller's quote.
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
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 $66,000
Before the house, plus the well
Before you make an offer on land here
Well depth
Get a local driller's depth estimate.
Typical well depths here range from 50 feet to 1,020 feet.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Rock or a hard layer sits about 33 inches down, which can rule out a standard system.
Zoning
Confirm with the county whether the parcel is zoned.
Rural land in South Dakota is often unzoned.
Nearby counties
4,018 people live in Gregory County, about 4 per square mile. It ranks tied for 21st of the 66 South Dakota counties we scored, and South Dakota ranks 39th of 50 states.