Possible, but hard and costly. NOAA counts four hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975, so build to the wind code and plan for long outages. The growing season runs about 325 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. The nearest roads are often dirt tracks, so plan to build or maintain your own access.
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 27 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 310 feet deep; a well typically runs $9,000 to $19,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 325 frost-free days, USDA zone 9b; last frost about February 2, first about December 7
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 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 Low here
Storms
Expect about two hurricanes within 50 miles over 30 years. Build to the wind code and keep a week of fuel and water.
NOAA: four hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 1%, about 30 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.
Sand, moderately well drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Dirt tracks. Plan to build or maintain your own road.
Nearest road often a dirt track, about 0.7 miles away (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Texas 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
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.