Can you live off-grid in Yakima County, Washington?
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Major concerns
Possible, but hard and costly. Only about 10 inches of rain falls a year, so you will rely on a well (near 150 feet here) or hauled water. The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high in parts of the county, so plan cleared ground around the house.
What the land says
Rain
Desert rain. Plan on a well or hauled water, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 10 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 150 feet deep; a well typically runs $8,000 to $18,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 153 frost-free days, USDA zone 7b; last frost about April 26, first about October 11
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 run along creeks and rivers here. Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps flood zones in places
Wildfire
Wildfire risk is high in parts of the county. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Very High 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 17%, about 1,980 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt 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 0.8 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Washington 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 Yakima County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Washington's State Building Code, which includes the International Residential Code for homes, is in effect in every county and city. Counties and cities enforce it, so a new house needs a building permit and inspections anywhere in the state, and a local change to the rules for homes needs State Building Code Council approval.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Water belongs to whoever claimed it first. A new well or pond may need a state permit, and a creek may already be claimed.
Drilled to about 150 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$17,000 to $31,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$3,000 to $9,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$34,000 to $72,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Wildfire
Ask an insurance agent whether they will write a policy.
The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high in parts of the county.
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.
Nearby counties
256,643 people live in Yakima County, about 59.8 per square mile. It ranks tied for 24th of the 39 Washington counties we scored, and Washington ranks 44th of 50 states.