Which Virginia counties score best for off-grid living?

Of the 119 Virginia counties we have scored, Greensville County scores highest at 99 and Hampton city lowest at 73. Virginia ranks 1st of 50 overall, at 94 out of 100 (Good with caveats). Buildability separates its counties most: 0 to 10 out of 10.

Updated 2026-09-27 · 119 counties · 552 spots of private rural land scored

Good with caveatsVirginia ranks 1st of 50, 94 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 #1 and #2. City counties with little private rural land have no page, and any parcel can be scored, free, below.

Every scored county in Virginia, best score first

Find a county119 counties


Greensville → 38 people / sq mi	99	25	20	14	15	15	10
Lunenburg → 28 people / sq mi	99	25	20	14	15	15	10
Powhatan → 123 people / sq mi	99	25	20	14	15	15	10
Prince George → 162 people / sq mi	99	25	20	15	15	14	10
Appomattox → 51 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	14	15	10
Bedford → 107 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	15	14	10
Campbell → 110 people / sq mi	98	24	20	14	15	15	10
Charles City → 36 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	14	15	10
Clarke → 88 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	15	15	9
Danville city → 977 people / sq mi	98	25	19	14	15	15	10
Dinwiddie → 56 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	14	15	10
Fluvanna → 99 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	14	15	10
Greene → 137 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	14	15	10
Mecklenburg → 49 people / sq mi	98	25	20	15	14	14	10
Nottoway → 50 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	14	15	10
Pittsylvania → 62 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	15	14	10
Prince Edward → 63 people / sq mi	98	25	20	15	14	14	10
Southampton → 30 people / sq mi	98	24	20	15	14	15	10
Spotsylvania → 372 people / sq mi	98	25	20	14	14	15	10
Surry → 24 people / sq mi	98	24	20	14	15	15	10
Amelia → 38 people / sq mi	97	25	19	14	14	15	10
Augusta → 81 people / sq mi	97	25	20	14	14	14	10
Brunswick → 28 people / sq mi	97	25	20	15	14	13	10
Caroline → 62 people / sq mi	97	25	20	14	14	14	10
Charlotte → 24 people / sq mi	97	24	20	14	15	14	10
Essex → 41 people / sq mi	97	23	20	14	15	15	10
Goochland → 96 people / sq mi	97	24	20	14	14	15	10
Hanover → 244 people / sq mi	97	24	20	14	14	15	10
King George → 159 people / sq mi	97	25	20	14	15	13	10
Louisa → 83 people / sq mi	97	25	20	14	13	15	10
New Kent → 124 people / sq mi	97	24	20	14	14	15	10
Westmoreland → 83 people / sq mi	97	24	20	14	14	15	10
Carroll → 62 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	15	13	9
Cumberland → 33 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	14	13	10
Fairfax → 2920 people / sq mi	96	25	19	14	15	14	9
Halifax → 41 people / sq mi	96	24	20	14	14	14	10
Henrico → 1432 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	13	15	9
Madison → 44 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	14	14	9
Orange → 113 people / sq mi	96	25	19	14	14	14	10
Petersburg city → 1466 people / sq mi	96	25	17	15	14	15	10
Shenandoah → 89 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	15	13	9
York → 678 people / sq mi	96	25	20	14	13	15	9
Amherst → 66 people / sq mi	95	25	20	14	14	13	9
Bland → 17 people / sq mi	95	25	20	14	14	13	9
Colonial Heights city → 2446 people / sq mi	95	25	17	14	14	15	10
Fauquier → 116 people / sq mi	95	25	18	14	14	14	10
Harrisonburg city → 2947 people / sq mi	95	25	17	14	15	14	10
Loudoun → 846 people / sq mi	95	24	20	14	14	14	9
Prince William → 1461 people / sq mi	95	25	20	14	14	13	9
Rappahannock → 28 people / sq mi	95	25	20	14	14	13	9
Richmond → 48 people / sq mi	95	23	20	14	15	13	10
Stafford → 615 people / sq mi	95	25	20	14	14	13	9
Albemarle → 161 people / sq mi	94	23	20	14	13	15	9
Buckingham → 29 people / sq mi	94	23	20	14	13	14	10
Buena Vista city → 1020 people / sq mi	94	25	17	14	14	14	10
Chesterfield → 906 people / sq mi	94	24	20	14	14	12	10
Henry → 130 people / sq mi	94	25	19	14	14	13	9
James City → 581 people / sq mi	94	24	18	14	14	15	9
King William → 70 people / sq mi	94	24	20	14	14	12	10
Rockingham → 102 people / sq mi	94	25	18	14	14	14	9
Williamsburg city → 1773 people / sq mi	94	24	17	14	14	15	10
Wythe → 61 people / sq mi	94	25	20	14	14	12	9
Culpeper → 145 people / sq mi	93	25	20	14	14	13	7
Emporia city → 791 people / sq mi	93	25	17	14	14	13	10
Floyd → 41 people / sq mi	93	25	20	12	15	12	9
Franklin → 80 people / sq mi	93	25	20	14	14	12	8
Hopewell city → 2197 people / sq mi	93	25	17	14	14	13	10
King and Queen → 21 people / sq mi	93	22	18	14	14	15	10
Lee → 50 people / sq mi	93	23	20	14	14	13	9
Northumberland → 65 people / sq mi	93	20	20	14	14	15	10
Richmond city → 3826 people / sq mi	93	25	17	14	14	14	9
Staunton city → 1301 people / sq mi	93	25	19	12	15	13	9
Suffolk city → 252 people / sq mi	93	22	20	14	14	13	10
Gloucester → 184 people / sq mi	92	23	18	14	13	14	10
Lynchburg city → 1624 people / sq mi	92	24	19	14	14	12	9
Warren → 195 people / sq mi	92	25	20	14	14	12	7
Washington → 96 people / sq mi	92	23	19	12	15	14	9
Bath → 8 people / sq mi	91	23	20	12	15	12	9
Frederick → 232 people / sq mi	91	24	19	13	15	13	7
Lancaster → 82 people / sq mi	91	21	19	14	13	14	10
Martinsville city → 1256 people / sq mi	91	25	17	14	13	13	9
Accomack → 74 people / sq mi	90	23	20	15	11	13	8
Craig → 15 people / sq mi	90	25	20	12	14	11	8
Nelson → 31 people / sq mi	90	23	19	14	14	12	8
Giles → 46 people / sq mi	89	25	20	13	15	11	5
Page → 77 people / sq mi	89	25	20	14	14	11	5
Botetourt → 63 people / sq mi	88	23	18	14	14	13	6
Galax city → 816 people / sq mi	88	25	17	13	14	12	7
Isle of Wight → 129 people / sq mi	88	23	19	14	11	13	8
Middlesex → 84 people / sq mi	88	21	20	14	11	14	8
Chesapeake city → 750 people / sq mi	87	25	18	14	11	13	6
Newport News city → 2654 people / sq mi	87	23	19	14	11	12	8
Mathews → 99 people / sq mi	86	21	20	14	12	13	6
Alleghany → 33 people / sq mi	85	24	20	13	14	10	4
Grayson → 35 people / sq mi	85	25	20	14	11	10	5
Rockbridge → 38 people / sq mi	85	24	20	14	14	10	3
Sussex → 22 people / sq mi	85	25	18	15	11	12	4
Franklin city → 1008 people / sq mi	84	22	17	14	11	13	7
Highland → 6 people / sq mi	84	25	20	13	11	10	5
Russell → 54 people / sq mi	83	24	20	14	11	10	4
Smyth → 65 people / sq mi	83	25	20	11	11	11	5
Patrick → 36 people / sq mi	82	25	20	12	11	10	4
Radford city → 1754 people / sq mi	82	23	17	14	15	10	3
Roanoke city → 2285 people / sq mi	82	25	17	14	11	10	5
Scott → 40 people / sq mi	82	23	19	11	14	11	4
Virginia Beach city → 1854 people / sq mi	82	23	20	14	10	12	3
Waynesboro city → 1549 people / sq mi	82	25	17	13	11	10	6
Montgomery → 255 people / sq mi	81	23	19	12	14	10	3
Norton city → 467 people / sq mi	81	25	19	13	11	10	3
Pulaski → 105 people / sq mi	81	25	19	13	11	9	4
Tazewell → 75 people / sq mi	81	25	19	13	11	10	3
Covington city → 1014 people / sq mi	79	25	17	13	12	10	2
Wise → 87 people / sq mi	79	25	20	13	10	11	0
Buchanan → 38 people / sq mi	78	25	20	13	10	10	0
Roanoke → 387 people / sq mi	78	25	20	11	11	11	0
Northampton → 57 people / sq mi	77	23	19	14	7	13	1
Dickenson → 41 people / sq mi	76	23	19	13	11	10	0
Poquoson city → 823 people / sq mi	75	23	19	15	7	10	1
Hampton city → 2664 people / sq mi	73	23	17	14	7	11	1

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

88% of Virginia's private rural land scores Good with caveats or better (80 or more). The strongest counties are Greensville, Lunenburg and Powhatan. The weakest are Hampton city, Poquoson city and Dickenson. Where the land falls short, it is most often on building (slope, septic and land price) and energy (sun, and heating and cooling needs).

What separates them

Buildability: Greensville County scores 10 of 10, Dickenson County 0. 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.
Hazard: Greensville County scores 15 of 15, Hampton city 7. Flood, wildfire, seismic, and severe-weather exposure: the risks that raise insurance and build cost or strand a parcel.
Food: Greensville County scores 15 of 15, Pulaski County 9. Soil quality, frost-free growing days, and rainfall: what decides whether you can actually feed yourself and your animals.
Solar: Prince George County scores 15 of 15, Roanoke County 11. 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.
Water: Greensville County scores 25 of 25, Northumberland County 20. 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.
Legal: Greensville County scores 20 of 20, Hampton city 17. 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

Buildability is Virginia's weakest dimension, at 9 of 10 for the state as a whole. 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. Getting a parcel here off-grid runs $29k to $105k by our estimates across these counties, before the house. The full Virginia 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 Virginia

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 Virginia? 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 caveatsVirginia: 94 of 100, 1st 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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