Texas · off-grid scores, county by county · 2026

Which Texas counties score best for off-grid living?

Of the 254 Texas counties we have scored, Lamar County scores highest at 99 and Presidio County lowest at 60. Texas ranks 34th of 50 overall, at 80 out of 100 (Good with caveats). Buildability separates its counties most: 1 to 10 out of 10.

Updated 2026-09-27 · 254 counties · 1261 spots of private rural land scored

Good with caveatsTexas ranks 34th of 50, 80 out of 100, in the Best States ranking: the typical parcel on the state's private rural land, with each scored spot weighted by the land it stands for. On a fresh draw of counties it would rank between #33 and #35. City counties with little private rural land have no page, and any parcel can be scored, free, below.

Every scored county in Texas, best score first

Find a county254 counties


Lamar → 56 people / sq mi	99	25	20	14	15	15	10
Franklin → 38 people / sq mi	97	24	20	14	15	14	10
Leon → 15 people / sq mi	96	24	20	13	15	14	10
Madison → 30 people / sq mi	96	23	20	13	15	15	10
Nacogdoches → 69 people / sq mi	96	25	19	14	14	14	10
Sabine → 21 people / sq mi	96	23	20	14	14	15	10
San Augustine → 15 people / sq mi	96	24	19	14	14	15	10
Van Zandt → 76 people / sq mi	96	25	18	14	14	15	10
Bowie → 104 people / sq mi	95	23	20	14	13	15	10
Camp → 66 people / sq mi	95	23	20	14	14	14	10
Cooke → 50 people / sq mi	95	24	20	14	14	14	9
Grayson → 158 people / sq mi	95	24	20	14	14	14	9
Henderson → 99 people / sq mi	95	24	20	13	14	14	10
Marion → 25 people / sq mi	95	25	20	14	12	14	10
Morris → 48 people / sq mi	95	25	20	14	12	14	10
Freestone → 23 people / sq mi	94	23	19	13	15	14	10
Houston → 18 people / sq mi	94	21	20	13	15	15	10
Hunt → 135 people / sq mi	94	22	20	14	15	14	9
Panola → 28 people / sq mi	94	25	20	14	12	13	10
Shelby → 30 people / sq mi	94	23	20	13	14	14	10
Upshur → 74 people / sq mi	94	22	20	14	13	15	10
Wise → 86 people / sq mi	94	23	18	14	15	14	10
Comanche → 15 people / sq mi	93	20	20	14	15	14	10
Delta → 22 people / sq mi	93	21	20	14	15	14	9
Fannin → 42 people / sq mi	93	22	19	14	15	14	9
Grimes → 41 people / sq mi	93	23	20	13	14	13	10
Lavaca → 21 people / sq mi	93	23	20	12	14	14	10
Limestone → 25 people / sq mi	93	21	19	13	15	15	10
Montague → 23 people / sq mi	93	21	20	14	14	14	10
Rains → 57 people / sq mi	93	21	20	14	14	14	10
Red River → 11 people / sq mi	93	23	20	14	14	13	9
Tyler → 22 people / sq mi	93	23	20	13	14	13	10
Wood → 74 people / sq mi	93	22	19	14	14	14	10
Austin → 49 people / sq mi	92	22	19	12	15	14	10
Cherokee → 50 people / sq mi	92	23	20	14	11	14	10
DeWitt → 22 people / sq mi	92	22	20	12	14	14	10
Erath → 41 people / sq mi	92	20	19	14	15	14	10
Hopkins → 50 people / sq mi	92	21	19	14	15	14	9
Jack → 10 people / sq mi	92	22	19	13	14	14	10
Navarro → 55 people / sq mi	92	20	20	13	14	15	10
San Jacinto → 51 people / sq mi	92	22	20	13	14	13	10
Victoria → 104 people / sq mi	92	22	19	12	15	14	10
Anderson → 54 people / sq mi	91	22	20	13	12	15	9
Angelina → 109 people / sq mi	91	22	19	13	14	13	10
Brazos → 418 people / sq mi	91	21	20	12	14	14	10
Caldwell → 92 people / sq mi	91	19	20	13	14	15	10
Harrison → 79 people / sq mi	91	25	19	14	10	14	9
Lee → 29 people / sq mi	91	20	20	12	15	14	10
Montgomery → 683 people / sq mi	91	22	20	13	13	14	9
Rusk → 57 people / sq mi	91	22	19	14	12	14	10
Smith → 266 people / sq mi	91	22	20	14	12	13	10
Tarrant → 2523 people / sq mi	91	23	19	13	13	14	9
Falls → 23 people / sq mi	90	19	20	13	15	14	9
Fayette → 27 people / sq mi	90	19	20	12	15	14	10
Hill → 40 people / sq mi	90	20	20	13	14	14	9
Kaufman → 238 people / sq mi	90	21	18	13	13	15	10
Parker → 192 people / sq mi	90	21	20	13	13	14	9
Polk → 51 people / sq mi	90	23	18	13	13	13	10
Titus → 77 people / sq mi	90	24	15	14	13	14	10
Trinity → 21 people / sq mi	90	21	19	13	14	13	10
Walker → 104 people / sq mi	90	22	20	13	14	14	7
Washington → 61 people / sq mi	90	21	20	12	14	14	9
Wilbarger → 13 people / sq mi	90	19	20	13	14	14	10
Bastrop → 125 people / sq mi	89	20	20	12	14	13	10
Burleson → 30 people / sq mi	89	21	20	12	14	13	9
Collin → 1421 people / sq mi	89	22	18	13	14	14	8
Colorado → 22 people / sq mi	89	23	19	12	14	12	9
Denton → 1147 people / sq mi	89	24	19	12	13	14	7
Fort Bend → 1064 people / sq mi	89	24	20	12	14	12	7
Goliad → 8 people / sq mi	89	20	19	12	14	14	10
Gonzales → 19 people / sq mi	89	20	19	12	14	14	10
Guadalupe → 265 people / sq mi	89	19	20	12	14	14	10
Jackson → 18 people / sq mi	89	24	20	12	11	14	8
Kendall → 76 people / sq mi	89	18	20	14	14	14	9
McLennan → 259 people / sq mi	89	19	20	13	14	14	9
Williamson → 625 people / sq mi	89	21	20	13	14	14	7
Bell → 373 people / sq mi	88	19	20	13	13	14	9
Burnet → 54 people / sq mi	88	20	20	13	15	13	7
Eastland → 20 people / sq mi	88	16	20	14	15	13	10
Hays → 414 people / sq mi	88	20	20	13	15	13	7
Karnes → 20 people / sq mi	88	19	19	11	15	14	10
Matagorda → 33 people / sq mi	88	25	19	12	11	14	7
Palo Pinto → 31 people / sq mi	88	19	20	13	14	13	9
Robertson → 20 people / sq mi	88	18	19	13	15	13	10
Rockwall → 1032 people / sq mi	88	21	18	13	14	14	8
Wharton → 38 people / sq mi	88	23	19	12	14	13	7
Wichita → 207 people / sq mi	88	17	20	13	13	15	10
Bee → 35 people / sq mi	87	18	18	11	15	15	10
Clay → 10 people / sq mi	87	15	20	13	14	15	10
Ellis → 238 people / sq mi	87	17	20	13	14	14	9
Floyd → 5 people / sq mi	87	16	20	15	15	11	10
Gregg → 462 people / sq mi	87	22	20	13	9	14	9
Hood → 161 people / sq mi	87	17	20	13	13	14	10
Lampasas → 33 people / sq mi	87	17	20	13	15	13	9
Milam → 26 people / sq mi	87	16	19	13	15	14	10
Newton → 13 people / sq mi	87	23	19	13	11	13	8
Travis → 1343 people / sq mi	87	19	20	12	14	14	8
Waller → 124 people / sq mi	87	19	20	13	15	13	7
Blanco → 18 people / sq mi	86	17	20	14	15	13	7
Brown → 41 people / sq mi	86	14	20	14	15	14	9
Collingsworth → 3 people / sq mi	86	16	20	14	15	11	10
Coryell → 81 people / sq mi	86	14	20	13	15	14	10
Johnson → 280 people / sq mi	86	21	19	13	12	14	7
Live Oak → 11 people / sq mi	86	18	19	11	14	14	10
Somervell → 53 people / sq mi	86	16	20	13	14	13	10
Archer → 10 people / sq mi	85	14	20	13	14	14	10
Baylor → 4 people / sq mi	85	18	17	13	15	13	9
Bosque → 19 people / sq mi	85	16	20	13	14	13	9
Comal → 347 people / sq mi	85	19	18	13	15	13	7
Gillespie → 26 people / sq mi	85	16	20	15	15	12	7
Haskell → 6 people / sq mi	85	16	19	13	15	12	10
Jasper → 35 people / sq mi	85	22	19	13	12	12	7
Knox → 4 people / sq mi	85	18	18	13	15	11	10
McCulloch → 7 people / sq mi	85	13	20	14	15	13	10
Mills → 6 people / sq mi	85	16	19	14	15	14	7
Runnels → 9 people / sq mi	85	17	19	13	15	11	10
Swisher → 8 people / sq mi	85	15	20	15	15	10	10
Coleman → 6 people / sq mi	84	16	20	14	15	12	7
Dawson → 13 people / sq mi	84	16	20	15	15	8	10
Hardeman → 5 people / sq mi	84	14	19	13	15	13	10
Hockley → 24 people / sq mi	84	16	20	15	15	8	10
Kerr → 49 people / sq mi	84	15	20	15	15	12	7
Lamb → 13 people / sq mi	84	16	19	15	15	9	10
Llano → 25 people / sq mi	84	15	19	14	15	14	7
Randall → 162 people / sq mi	84	16	19	15	14	10	10
San Saba → 5 people / sq mi	84	17	17	14	15	14	7
Stephens → 10 people / sq mi	84	14	19	13	14	14	10
Throckmorton → 2 people / sq mi	84	14	19	13	14	14	10
Wilson → 67 people / sq mi	84	16	20	12	14	13	9
Atascosa → 43 people / sq mi	83	14	20	11	14	14	10
Bandera → 29 people / sq mi	83	16	19	14	15	12	7
Callahan → 16 people / sq mi	83	15	19	14	15	13	7
Cochran → 3 people / sq mi	83	15	20	15	15	8	10
Liberty → 94 people / sq mi	83	21	20	13	12	12	5
Lubbock → 358 people / sq mi	83	16	20	15	14	8	10
Lynn → 7 people / sq mi	83	15	19	15	15	9	10
Mason → 4 people / sq mi	83	13	19	14	15	13	9
Mitchell → 10 people / sq mi	83	15	20	13	15	10	10
Orange → 257 people / sq mi	83	21	20	13	11	13	5
Real → 4 people / sq mi	83	17	17	15	15	12	7
Tom Green → 78 people / sq mi	83	15	20	13	14	11	10
Wheeler → 5 people / sq mi	83	20	19	14	11	10	9
Armstrong → 2 people / sq mi	82	17	19	15	15	9	7
Cass → 31 people / sq mi	82	25	19	14	8	13	3
Crosby → 6 people / sq mi	82	13	19	15	15	10	10
Donley → 4 people / sq mi	82	16	19	14	14	10	9
Foard → 2 people / sq mi	82	15	17	13	14	13	10
Hale → 32 people / sq mi	82	15	19	15	14	9	10
Harris → 2833 people / sq mi	82	19	19	12	12	13	7
Howard → 34 people / sq mi	82	17	18	13	14	10	10
Jim Wells → 45 people / sq mi	82	15	20	10	14	13	10
Midland → 197 people / sq mi	82	17	18	13	15	9	10
Taylor → 160 people / sq mi	82	14	20	14	14	11	9
Bailey → 8 people / sq mi	81	15	19	15	15	7	10
Bexar → 1683 people / sq mi	81	14	20	12	14	12	9
Brazoria → 293 people / sq mi	81	25	20	12	9	12	3
Dallas → 2985 people / sq mi	81	16	19	13	13	13	7
Hemphill → 4 people / sq mi	81	17	19	14	12	10	9
Jones → 22 people / sq mi	81	14	19	13	13	12	10
Lipscomb → 3 people / sq mi	81	15	18	14	14	10	10
Medina → 41 people / sq mi	81	13	19	12	14	14	9
Nolan → 16 people / sq mi	81	16	19	14	14	11	7
Parmer → 11 people / sq mi	81	12	20	15	15	9	10
Refugio → 9 people / sq mi	81	18	20	12	11	13	7
Uvalde → 16 people / sq mi	81	12	20	12	15	12	10
Young → 20 people / sq mi	81	15	18	13	12	14	9
Briscoe → 2 people / sq mi	80	14	18	15	14	10	9
Castro → 8 people / sq mi	80	12	19	15	15	9	10
Gaines → 15 people / sq mi	80	15	20	15	14	7	9
Glasscock → 1 people / sq mi	80	16	17	14	14	9	10
Hamilton → 10 people / sq mi	80	13	14	14	15	14	10
Scurry → 18 people / sq mi	80	16	17	14	14	10	9
Shackelford → 4 people / sq mi	80	14	17	13	14	13	9
Sterling → 2 people / sq mi	80	17	16	14	14	9	10
Zavala → 7 people / sq mi	80	16	19	11	14	10	10
Carson → 6 people / sq mi	79	9	20	15	14	11	10
Concho → 3 people / sq mi	79	15	17	14	15	11	7
Cottle → 1 people / sq mi	79	13	19	13	15	9	10
Deaf Smith → 12 people / sq mi	79	13	17	15	15	9	10
Gray → 23 people / sq mi	79	11	19	15	12	12	10
Hardin → 65 people / sq mi	79	20	20	13	9	11	6
King → under 1 person / sq mi	79	13	18	13	14	11	10
Kleberg → 34 people / sq mi	79	14	18	10	13	14	10
Martin → 6 people / sq mi	79	16	17	14	15	8	9
Reagan → 3 people / sq mi	79	13	19	14	15	8	10
Schleicher → 2 people / sq mi	79	16	17	15	15	9	7
Stonewall → 1 people / sq mi	79	12	19	13	14	11	10
Sutton → 2 people / sq mi	79	14	20	14	15	9	7
Terry → 13 people / sq mi	79	14	19	15	15	7	9
Cameron → 479 people / sq mi	78	14	20	10	13	13	8
Coke → 4 people / sq mi	78	14	18	13	14	9	10
Fisher → 4 people / sq mi	78	10	19	13	15	11	10
Garza → 5 people / sq mi	78	12	19	14	14	9	10
Hall → 3 people / sq mi	78	10	19	14	15	10	10
Kimble → 4 people / sq mi	78	13	19	14	15	10	7
Nueces → 420 people / sq mi	78	15	20	10	11	14	8
Potter → 126 people / sq mi	78	14	20	15	13	7	9
Yoakum → 9 people / sq mi	78	15	17	15	15	7	9
Andrews → 12 people / sq mi	77	14	17	14	15	8	9
Calhoun → 39 people / sq mi	77	19	19	12	10	12	5
Chambers → 90 people / sq mi	77	24	17	13	8	12	3
Ector → 183 people / sq mi	77	14	19	14	15	8	7
Galveston → 953 people / sq mi	77	19	20	12	9	13	4
Hansford → 6 people / sq mi	77	11	17	14	15	10	10
Childress → 10 people / sq mi	76	10	20	13	15	11	7
Edwards → under 1 person / sq mi	76	11	19	14	15	10	7
Maverick → 45 people / sq mi	76	13	20	10	14	9	10
Menard → 2 people / sq mi	76	13	17	14	15	10	7
Moore → 24 people / sq mi	76	9	19	15	15	8	10
Motley → 1 people / sq mi	76	13	18	14	12	10	9
Oldham → 1 people / sq mi	76	12	16	15	15	8	10
Roberts → under 1 person / sq mi	76	12	19	14	12	10	9
Borden → under 1 person / sq mi	75	12	17	14	14	9	9
Dallam → 5 people / sq mi	75	9	19	15	15	7	10
Dickens → 2 people / sq mi	75	11	19	14	12	10	9
El Paso → 858 people / sq mi	75	9	20	14	15	7	10
Hartley → 4 people / sq mi	75	9	19	15	15	7	10
Irion → 2 people / sq mi	75	14	17	14	12	9	9
Kinney → 2 people / sq mi	75	8	19	12	15	11	10
Ochiltree → 11 people / sq mi	75	11	14	14	15	11	10
San Patricio → 102 people / sq mi	75	16	16	11	11	13	8
Winkler → 9 people / sq mi	75	14	18	13	14	7	9
Crane → 6 people / sq mi	74	13	20	12	14	6	9
Frio → 16 people / sq mi	74	9	19	11	14	11	10
La Salle → 4 people / sq mi	74	10	19	10	14	11	10
Aransas → 101 people / sq mi	73	17	19	11	8	11	7
Duval → 5 people / sq mi	73	11	16	10	14	12	10
Hutchinson → 23 people / sq mi	73	10	19	14	12	9	9
Sherman → 3 people / sq mi	73	9	16	15	15	8	10
Upton → 3 people / sq mi	73	11	17	13	15	7	10
Ward → 13 people / sq mi	73	13	20	12	14	5	9
Brooks → 7 people / sq mi	72	14	18	10	13	10	7
Crockett → 1 people / sq mi	72	12	17	14	14	8	7
Dimmit → 6 people / sq mi	72	10	19	10	13	10	10
Jefferson → 287 people / sq mi	72	22	20	13	5	11	1
McMullen → under 1 person / sq mi	72	11	16	10	14	12	9
Jim Hogg → 4 people / sq mi	71	11	18	10	14	9	9
Starr → 54 people / sq mi	71	11	18	10	13	9	10
Jeff Davis → under 1 person / sq mi	70	14	17	15	14	5	5
Kent → under 1 person / sq mi	70	9	15	13	15	9	9
Reeves → 5 people / sq mi	70	8	17	13	14	9	9
Hidalgo → 572 people / sq mi	69	13	20	10	10	9	7
Pecos → 3 people / sq mi	69	8	18	13	15	6	9
Terrell → under 1 person / sq mi	69	10	17	13	15	7	7
Zapata → 14 people / sq mi	69	8	18	10	13	10	10
Culberson → under 1 person / sq mi	68	8	17	14	15	7	7
Willacy → 34 people / sq mi	68	12	19	10	9	12	6
Loving → under 1 person / sq mi	66	7	17	13	14	8	7
Webb → 80 people / sq mi	66	9	18	10	13	9	7
Kenedy → under 1 person / sq mi	65	13	17	10	10	10	5
Brewster → 2 people / sq mi	63	8	15	14	15	4	7
Hudspeth → under 1 person / sq mi	63	5	17	15	15	4	7
Val Verde → 15 people / sq mi	62	6	14	13	14	8	7
Presidio → 2 people / sq mi	60	6	14	15	14	4	7

Score is out of 100: Water 25, Legal 20, Solar 15, Hazard 15, Food 15, Buildability 10. Green cells score 80% or better of their maximum; amber cells under 70%.

Where the good land is

54% of Texas's private rural land scores Good with caveats or better (80 or more). The strongest counties are Lamar, Franklin and Leon. The weakest are Presidio, Val Verde and Brewster. Where the land falls short, it is most often on water (rain, wells and salty or weak wells) and growing food (season, soil and water for crops).

What separates them

Buildability: Lamar County scores 10 of 10, Jefferson County 1. Slope, the septic the ground needs, footings, and the county's land price. A steep or soggy lot that fails a septic test is the dealbreaker photos hide.
Water: Lamar County scores 25 of 25, Hudspeth County 5. Drinking, system, and irrigation water, the #1 reason off-grid and homestead plans collapse. A low score means a deep, costly well or hauled water.
Food: Lamar County scores 15 of 15, Presidio County 4. Soil quality, frost-free growing days, and rainfall: what decides whether you can actually feed yourself and your animals.
Hazard: Lamar County scores 15 of 15, Jefferson County 5. Flood, wildfire, seismic, and severe-weather exposure: the risks that raise insurance and build cost or strand a parcel.
Solar: Floyd County scores 15 of 15, Kenedy County 10. Year-round solar potential, including the darkest month, and how much energy it takes to heat and cool a house there. Matters most if you're fully off-grid.
Legal: Lamar County scores 20 of 20, Presidio County 14. Whether you can reach the land and live on it: road access, distance to emergency care, internet and cell, and how built up the area is, which decides how many lot-size, livestock, and zoning rules you will meet.

The state's soft spot

Water is Texas's weakest dimension, at 15 of 25 for the state as a whole. Drinking, system, and irrigation water, the #1 reason off-grid and homestead plans collapse. A low score means a deep, costly well or hauled water. Getting a parcel here off-grid runs $30k to $213k by our estimates across these counties, before the house. The full Texas row in the Best States ranking has the state-wide spread and how the popular off-grid guides rank it.

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Before you buy in Texas

The scores read the physical land. Whether you may legally live on it is a separate question, and it changes at the county line: Is it legal to live off-grid in Texas? covers zoning, building code, septic, and wells for the state, with the counties that opt out. For the reason water carries a quarter of the score, how you get water on off-grid land is the read. And the five-point check is the order to do it in.

Good with caveatsTexas: 80 of 100, 34th of 50. A good state is not a good parcel. Score the one you are looking at, free, in about a minute.

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