Can you live off-grid in Northampton County, Virginia?
77
of 100
Significant challenges
Possible, but flooding will be hard. Flood zones are common here, so look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer. Water is easy here, with about 46 inches of rain a year and wells near 20 feet. NOAA counts two hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975, so build to the wind code and plan for long outages.
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 46 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Shallow wells, so drilling should be one of the cheaper costs.
The typical well here is about 20 feet deep; a well typically runs $2,000 to $6,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 251 frost-free days, USDA zone 8b; last frost about March 21, first about December 2
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.0 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones are common here. Look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
FEMA maps flood zones across much of the county
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low here
Storms
Expect about one hurricane within 50 miles over 30 years. Build to the wind code and keep a week of fuel and water.
NOAA: two hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975; about 0.3 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 1%, about 10 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, 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 1 mile (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Virginia 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
We found no public zoning map for Northampton County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Virginia's Uniform Statewide Building Code, which uses the International Residential Code for homes, applies in every county and city and replaces local building codes. The local building department enforces it, so a new house needs a building permit and inspections anywhere in the state.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Drilled to about 20 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$3,000 to $7,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$29,000 to $60,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones are common here. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Zoning
Call the county planning office with the parcel number.
There is no public zoning map, so we cannot tell whether the land is zoned.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
Nearby counties
12,021 people live in Northampton County, about 56.8 per square mile. It ranks 116th of the 119 Virginia counties we scored, and Virginia ranks 1st of 50 states.