Off-grid house with solar panels in the wilderness (Photo by Alex Bierwagen on Unsplash)
In a world where urban living often dominates the narrative, the allure of off-grid living beckons with promises of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and a deeper connection to nature. Escaping the confines of traditional city life, off-grid communities and remote homesteads offer a glimpse into a lifestyle characterized by simplicity and independence. Whether living among the rugged terrain of the mountains, nestled within the tranquility of a forest, or perched along the shores of a secluded coastline, the best places to live off-grid invite adventurers and seekers of freedom to embrace a life where the horizon is limitless and the rhythms of nature guide the way.
Whether you want to live off-grid to protect your data security or to explore sustainable power options, here is a list of the top seven best places to live off-grid. Our list is based off of the consensus of 11 experts versed in the off-grid lifestyle. If your recommendation didn’t make the list, let us know in the comments below!
1. Tennessee
At the top of the list is Tennessee, known for its beautiful landscape and abundance of natural resources. It has a temperate climate where you can experience during all four seasons. Off Grid Permaculture explains how with an average rainfall of over 50 inches, homesteaders living off-grid have ample access to legally harvest rainwater.
“One unique aspect of living off the grid in Tennessee,” notes Zendure, “is the availability of homesteading opportunities on public land. This means that individuals can apply to live and work on government-owned land for a low cost or even for free.” Many have therefore chosen to call Tennessee home because it has allowed them to use larger portions of land than other areas of the country.
The fertile land found in this state provides a growing season of over eight months per year, which is great for those looking to grow their own food. There are no restrictions on rainwater collection. It also boasts a lower cost of living than many other states. Peter Heinzl agrees, stating, “Tennessee stands out as a budget-friendly haven for off-grid enthusiasts.”
2. Missouri
Long known for being an ideal place to homestead, Missouri is one state that actually encourages living off-grid. According to Survival Sullivan, there are even areas where no zoning or building codes exist. Even though the state wants to make sure your well and septic are safe, there is little intervention to how you live out in Missouri.
The Show-Me State offers wide open spaces and an abundance of natural resources. “Missouri has cheap land prices, making it a great option for those looking for an affordable place to settle,” notes Persurvive. There are also relaxed laws concerning homeschooling so you can educate your kids as you deem best.
Missouri boasts a temperate climate, ideal for growing crops. Invest Guiding points out that, “It’s also home to Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage [a sustainable living community], which can be a valuable resource for those looking to make their off-grid home in Missouri.”
3. Texas
As the second largest state in the U.S., Texas offers plenty of land options with a variety of climates. Most areas have warm temperatures for much of the year. “Texas’ agricultural opportunities are vast thanks to its large size and variety of ecosystems,” explains Zero & Zen.
Renewable energy is strongly encouraged by the state of Texas, making it an ideal area for living off-grid. “The Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit provides financial incentives for individuals who install solar panels or wind turbines on their property,” notes Zendure.
Texas is an ideal state for off-grid living. One reason is that the cost of living and the cost of property is relatively low, according to Off Grid Grandpa. Plus there are no state income taxes. All of these make it a prime location for those looking to save money.
4. Wyoming
Being the least populated state in the U.S. makes Wyoming a great place to live for those desiring solitude. “Wyoming is known for its can-do and self-reliant attitude,” points out Primal Survivor. This is partly due to the remote nature of living there.
Wyoming is also popular for those who prefer a long winter and a short summer, as noted by Survival Sullivan. This can limit the variety of crops grown beyond staples. Therefore, growing your own food may take some creativity.
Invest Guiding mentions their relaxed regulations and abundance of spots with no zoning rules. This makes it a great place for mobile or tiny homes. Laws are supportive of solar and wind energy, even exempting solar equipment from sales tax and providing a rebate for the cost.
5. Montana
Having no state income tax and relatively low property taxes make Montana a financially wise place to call home. Peter Heinzl notes that the real estate market reflects this with many “land options that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.”
Montana is known for its breathtaking scenery and open skies. It offers plenty of options for outdoor enthusiasts. Among the many activities to enjoy are fishing, hiking, hunting, and camping, adds Persurvive. With its long winter and average of over 100 inches of snowfall, skiing is another popular activity to enjoy in Montana.
Wondering about renewable energy? Montana offers the options of solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy. This allows you to “enjoy off-grid life with self-power production,” notes Emoffgrid.
6. Oregon
This state offers a variety of locations for living off-grid ranging from along the coast to further inland with its more populated areas. “Oregon has a thriving homesteading culture and over 30,000 small farms in the state. You’ll find lots of local support for off-grid living, such as workshops, grant programs and farmer’s markets for selling homemade goods,” says Primal Survivor.
As long as you don’t mind the frequent rain, this beautiful state could be the ideal place to call your new home. Oregon boasts a growing season of over 200 days. Living off the land won’t be a problem here when it comes to growing your own food (Ecoflow).
There are plenty of inexpensive land options, too. It also does not have a general sales tax. Invest Guiding also notes, “the state values renewable energy and offers incentives for setting up off-grid solutions.”
7. Maine
The New England state of Maine is known for its stunning coastlines, streams, and rivers. These provide a variety of seafood options to choose from wherever you settle down. Zero & Zen notes, “Maine offers vast forests, a low population density, and access to freshwater sources.”
Looking to use renewable energy to lower your costs and environmental impact? Off Grid Grandpa reports that Maine also offers several incentives and rebates, making it even more affordable to set up shop there. Solar, wind, and hydropower are all available in Maine.
Winters are long and cold in Maine. Therefore the growing season is short. Primal Survivor notes that greenhouse and aquaculture are popular agricultural options. So if you’re looking for a New England alternative to the other states listed as the top seven best states for living off-grid, Maine might be the place for you.
Your Off-Grid Living Checklist
When deciding to make your home off-grid, there are many things to consider:
- Essential resources like water, energy, and food
- Financial considerations of initial costs, ongoing expenses, and continued income
- Legal aspects of zoning, permits, property taxes, and waste management
- Skills and knowledge of maintenance and repair, food production, and emergency care
- Lifestyle changes which may result in limited convenience, connectivity, and social interaction
- Location characteristics such as climate and natural disasters
Sources used to create our list:Â
- Zendure
- Peter Heinzl
- Off Grid Permaculture
- Persurvive
- Invest Guiding
- Ecoflow
- Survival Sullivan
- Primal Survivor
- Emoffgrid
- Zero & Zen
- Off Grid Grandpa
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.
New Mexico never gets mentioned anywhere~huge rural state to get lost in~cheap land~hiding in plain sight~we live in one of the largest rural counties~whole house generator, 500 gal propane tanks, underground electric~80 acres~low prop taxes~well with aquifer and it’s all ours~of course there was a forest fire years ago, owners moved out, we re-built.~Now, we live in a beautiful canyon meadow and we have a huge greenhouse and our nearest neighbor is a couple miles away~don’t discard NM~beautiful state in spite of who runs it~
Summer in the deep south, 100 degrees, 100 % humidity.
Must have a helluva solar array.
LOL! Thanks to Democrat incompetence , Everyone in California will soon be living off the grid
Says a Republican, butt wipes of corporate America. Lol
MAGAt rube says what?
LOL. That’s exactly what I came to post,JD. In fact, all of L.A. is on the grid and living in tents on the sidewalks. ????
Don’t blame politics.
Trump Dump started all this cap that’s going on now.
Research it if you dare to find the truth.
I’m sure you won’t research it.
Seriously it’s one persons fault? You’re a clown!
Wouldn’t waste time. Obviously your a tremendously dumb person.
And who has overseen Texas power grids, which have failed in both winter and summer ?????
LOL!! Yes they will!!!
Isn’t that right
If everyone tries to live small, I mean really SMALL we can have a HUGE impact on everything. Start by not using trees to wipe our butts. Ladies stop using trees to wipe up after using the restroom. Use a squirt bottle with water and a small cloth for drying to save a tree when you pee.
We live in the Big Bend Desert on a large off grid ranch. 99 percent of families are off grid , we enjoy cheap land, no building codes, and year round hunting….. abundance of sun, but very little rain….can’t win them all….
No building codes = Slum
Texas definitely has requirements for hunting licenses and seasons to support wildlife conservation. Just means you live without thinking long-term and assume no responsibility for your actions.
That is a ridiculous assumption, just because not everyone wants to live under the ever-watchful eye of our corrupt government. I have seen many off-grid homes where very nature-concious people live, who want to grow their own food, fish and hint, because they are sick of being slowly poisoned with “food” with pesticides, GMO grown. You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but you are putting everyone who lives off grid into the same category of people who live like filthy pigs.
If you are not from Texas, cork it.
If it were not for the good volunteers of Tennessee at the Alamo, Texas would not ever had seen the ligh of day. There were more Tennessee volunteers who sacrificed their lives than any other state or foreign country.
Looks like you have more problems than any state. If you have a state full of Mexicans, you think your going to stop illegals from pouring in?Texas is the problem. You are turning into Cali. Bite one!
This entire thread is the very reason why I want to separate from the masses. Im tired of the whole thing. Tired of the ignorance, hatred, politics.
lying racial games.
Dang.
Yes… agreed. I want to take my 5 year old and run. But I feel stuck, as his father is involved with him and does not believe me that we need to leave. I live in New York…
Upstate New York.. near Rochester.. I’m so scared for the future. Maybe if I just get up and go, his father will smarten up and follow me…. I just don’t need cps or cops oh me. Or the schools. How do I get past all of that!?!?
That’s right ! You tell em ! Dang !!
Who wrote this garbage I wouldn’t live in any of those states
And we don’t want you here.
California… LMAO This article reads like a lifestyle piece from an urban style magazine. First off nothing listed here is “off grid”. The moment you put your name on a deed you are ON GRID.
Off grid is what you spend years preparing for because you know at some point America is going to become a prison without walls.
Off grid means you disa f’n peer without trace, you head deep into the back country with the skills necessary to survive and thrive in freedom. You can dig your own well, dig a bunker, raise food, hunt, fish , know how to cook and heat by fire and obscure the source of that heat with filtered tunnels.
Off grid means knowing how to hide your heat signature , rig a basic alarm system and be willing to bug out the minute the government knows you exist.
Anything less means you are a trendy poser.
Thanks your Honor.
You should continue living in the Hole Your In.
Pitty that you are, by ignorance, refusing to enjoy the Tn.-Ala. line. Great land, people, and cooperative culture.
Alabama does NOT support net metering and the public service commission and its president Twinkle Cavanaugh are politically connected to Alabama Power, one of the Southern Companies that funded Twinkle’s campaign and has been able to push through draconian power taffrails that solar power use, implementation and cost and potential for payback impossible. Alabama is NOT an off the grid option. Your research is poorly lacking.
Hahah bs
Who wrote this garbage if you were in California as long as my relatives you know for sure there’s no place like that they pay taxes and everything out the hiney highest prices anywhere in the whole United States California may be beautiful that’s why they stay but I sure wouldn’t stay there because with the resurrection of Christ coming the Sodom and Gomorrah State of California will be the first to fall into the ocean that’s all I have to say about California
I was shocked to see California on the list also.
I totally agree who wrote this crap !
Yeah, I’m starting to think the article was written to push people into the very areas, like California, that I wouldn’t want anyone I love to live. California is Newsom territory, and I wouldn’t allow anyone I care about to live in that trash heap.
IDK how Hawaii didn’t make the list. So many people here on the Big Island are off grid. Pretty much anyone not in a town has catchment for the plentiful rainfall. Solar panels all over for the sunshine. No need for heating or cooling with the same weather year round. Our only grid tie is the fiber for internet. Thinking of cutting that and just using the phone’s hot spot.
Oh, and they have acreage down the street from the oceanfront parcels cheaper than acreage outside of Reno.
https://www.alohaliving.com/search/mls/642522
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/0-Sierra-View-Rd-Reno-NV-89508/2077801137_zpid/
Definitely need the best natural healing oils for the off-grid lifestyle.
Kure-itRx is the best natural pain relief, wound healing and anointing oils you can get.
Where’s your peer reviewed quality evidence?
At the rate the green energy thugs in CA are going, the whole state will soon be living …. ‘off the grid’…. and they will deserve every bit of it.
I live here and I can’t wait. Lol
Did anyone ever consider Western Maryland?
Too many federal government thugs running around out there.
Isn’t Alabama off-grid to begin with?
Yes. You nailed it. It’s not a new fad in that beautiful state.
Lol no. You should travel more, get out of your echo chamber.
They must be including the homeless in CA. Livin’ off the grid, Cali style.
Rubbish!!!!!
Yes, yes you are.
Yeah, I’m starting to think the article was written to push people into the very areas, like California, that I wouldn’t want anyone I love to live. California is Newsom territory, and I wouldn’t allow anyone I care about to live in that trash heap.
I have a cabin on the Marengo River in bayfield county Wisconsin. Although I am on the grid many of my neighbors are not. I have seen one of them still tilling his land with horses.
Absurd to put California anywhere on an off-grid list lol. Please find one component of any building code anywhere in California that is relaxed or would cost less in any other state.. I bet you will find zero benefits. Having lived in California for 40 years I know of one off grid and that’s a rich person. What is this articles motive? To sell some dream in exchange for tax revenue?
Well put.
Hah! Many places where you can live off the grid in N. Calif.
I sure believe that!! Given how untrustworthy the media is these days anyway, I don’t believe much of anything they say or print anymore. It all has political ideology attached, and it seems to be nothing more than a tool for social reprogramming for humanity.
Boom. The minute I saw California on the list I felt like something was up. And I know the state having lived here almost my entire life (since grade school). I know people say Northern California has options but if cost is a factor that would also not be true. Definitely surprised me to see that on a list of only five states.
Yes I agree. It is eaven against the law here in California to have solar panels hooked up to the house off grid, they must be connected to the pge meter, Or get into trouble with the state . So when pge dose it’s rolling black outs eaven if you got solar your pge shuts off as well.
Some people are overdosing on Joe’s products! Kalifornika is by mo means an ideal place to live. Not even Mr. Pelosi was safe!
Not with the crazy MAGA running around with their retribution hammers
How can Alabama be #1 when they charge you a “solar tax” every month???
https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/alabama-power-solar-charge
Literally, that is a charge to be “on-grid”. If you are off-grid, which in this case means providing your own backup power instead of depending on a wire to the local utility every night, you don’t pay the fee.
“The fee, which critics call the ‘solar tax’, is billed monthly to power company Alabama Power’s customers who install solar panels to generate their own electricity. With the solar tax now coming in at $5.41 per kilowatt (kW) of rooftop solar installed, it’s now almost impossible to get a good return on a solar investment in Alabama. ”
So I guess it doesn’t count if you’re not an Alabama Power customer?
Been on TVA all my life. AL PWR not the only provider in AL.
I live almost within sight of a nuke plant, Browns Ferry.
California may have a great climate and soil for growing but they are definitely not off grid friendly as far as expense and being able to build what you want where you want and how you want
I had property in northern California, 100 miles north of Sacramento. And because I quit using my pge and disconnected everything including the well from pge meter.with order of the state The county came to red flag me and kick me off my land . Not to return till I hired a contractor to re hook everything back to the grid. No out house allowed.
California is a disaster for of grid living. First of all, no one interested in this lifestyle can afford land in California to look ve an off grid lifestyle on. Second the state government and PG&E (the states energy monopoly) will not allow people to cut ties with the power company. You can’t get a permit to build without accepting that PG&E will have ultimate say on how you power your house. Even if you use solar or water/wind turbines PG&E still gets to install their equipment on YOUR PROPERTY. Therefore they can walk onto your property at any time. Building inspectors lurk around looking for any reason to issue a red tag to home owners who build a shed too high or one inch too big. Nosey Karen neighbors will report you for just about anything and there are few public hunting areas left in the state. I have to drive at least two hours to the nearest blm land I actually am allowed to hunt on. Shorter distances for private duck clubs but these are private and far more to join than the value of the meat you can come home with. Dear are tiny and you are lucky to get the one dear tag we are allowed every year. Elk? Lol better be the luckiest guy in your county and be awarded the one elk tag per county for that year. Not to mention having to spend a small for fortune on seldomly available non lead ammunition. Off grid living in California? Not if Gavin and the democrats have anything to say about it
Deer
And I’m glad they don’t let you hunt all the animals you want.
Yes the hunting is ridiculous. Totally archaic but I agree that California is a disaster and many other ways.