Yes, but water will be the challenge. Wells run deep, near 420 feet, so budget $14,000 to $30,000 for one. The growing season runs about 249 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 15%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation.
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 33 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Deep wells. Get a driller's quote before you offer.
The typical well here is about 420 feet deep; a well typically runs $14,000 to $30,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 249 frost-free days, USDA zone 8b; last frost about March 14, first about November 20
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 5.5 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 in places
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Terrain
Steep in places. Driveways, septic, and foundations cost more.
Slopes average about 15%, about 1,760 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because rock or a hard layer sits about 22 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 0.8 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Texas parcel, or plan the one you own
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A step-by-step build plan, sizing your solar, water, garden, septic, heat, and buildings.
Is it legal here?
Zoning
None. Texas counties cannot zone rural land, though septic, well, and floodplain rules still apply.
Building code
Texas state law applies the International Residential Code only inside city limits, so a house on unincorporated county land usually has no building code or permit. A county may opt in to require it, checked by an inspector the builder hires, but it cannot require approval before you build or charge a fee.
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 420 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
Solar and batteries
$20,000 to $35,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$2,000 to $7,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $3,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$47,000 to $94,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Well cost
Get a driller's quote.
Wells here run near 420 feet, so the well is a large cost.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Rock or a hard layer sits about 22 inches down, which can rule out a standard system.
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.
Nearby counties
22,637 people live in Bandera County, about 28.6 per square mile. It ranks tied for 130th of the 254 Texas counties we scored, and Texas ranks 34th of 50 states.