Can you live off-grid in San Jacinto County, Texas?
92
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, but water will be the challenge. Wells run deep, near 450 feet, so budget $15,000 to $31,000 for one. The growing season runs about 288 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. Flood zones cover parts of the county, so look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
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 53 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 450 feet deep; a well typically runs $15,000 to $31,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 288 frost-free days, USDA zone 9a; last frost about February 19, first about December 4
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 cover parts of the county. Look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
FEMA maps flood zones in parts of the county
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Moderate here
Storms
Strong tornadoes pass through now and then. A safe room is worth pricing.
NOAA: one 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 3%, about 200 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, moderately 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 0.5 miles (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.
Drilled to about 450 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
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
$43,000 to $86,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones cover parts of the county. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Well cost
Get a driller's quote.
Wells here run near 450 feet, so the well is a large cost.
Deed rules
Order a title search for deed restrictions.
With no county zoning, deed restrictions and subdivision rules decide what you can build.
Nearby counties
28,936 people live in San Jacinto County, about 50.8 per square mile. It ranks tied for 34th of the 254 Texas counties we scored, and Texas ranks 34th of 50 states.