Can you live off-grid in Marinette County, Wisconsin?
87
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with two things to plan around. The ground is mostly flat and drains well, which keeps building simple. Typical well depths here range from 70 feet to 450 feet, so get a local driller's quote. The growing season is about 136 frost-free days and winter sun is weak, so plan on a greenhouse and a bigger battery bank or a generator.
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 32 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Well depth varies a lot here. Get a local driller's quote before you offer.
Typical well depths here range from 70 feet to 450 feet
Growing season
Short. Start seeds indoors and favor cold-hardy crops.
About 136 frost-free days, USDA zone 4b; last frost about May 17, first about October 4
Sun
Fair sun. Plan a larger array or a generator for winter.
About 4.5 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 Moderate here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 0.8 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 4%, about 810 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Loamy sand, 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 Wisconsin 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
Set town by town. County zoning applies in a town only if the town board has approved it, and some towns zone on their own, so ask the town clerk with the parcel's address.
Building code
Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code is a statewide building code for new one- and two-family homes. The town, village, city, or county enforces it with a building permit and inspections, and in a small town that does neither, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services does, so plan on a permit for a new house almost anywhere.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Depends on depth, which varies here. Get a driller's quote.
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$19,000 to $37,000
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
$28,000 to $60,000
Before the house, plus the well
Before you make an offer on land here
Well depth
Get a local driller's depth estimate.
Typical well depths here range from 70 feet to 450 feet.
Zoning
Call the town or township office with the parcel's address.
Set town by town. County zoning applies in a town only if the town board has approved it, and some towns zone on their own, so ask the town clerk with the parcel's address.
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
42,106 people live in Marinette County, about 30.1 per square mile. It ranks tied for 19th of the 72 Wisconsin counties we scored, and Wisconsin ranks 28th of 50 states.