Best Places To Live Off-Grid: Top 5 U.S. States For Quiet Living, According To Experts
By If you’ve ever wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, off-grid living may have piqued your interest. Abraham Lincoln even seemed to like the idea, saying, “The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land.” Thankfully, the U.S. has some great options available to make your off-grid dream come true — but its best to first know which states are friendliest for such a lifestyle.
“Off-grid” simply means a home isn’t connected to the local power grid; therefore, it requires its own energy source, such as solar panels. However, this type of lifestyle is about so much more for the people who pursue it — connecting with nature, leaving less of an environmental footprint, having a more affordable home with land and being self-sufficient.
Consulting company Accenture forecast that 12 percent of American households will be off-grid by 2035! Another factor driving Americans out of the suburbs? Data safety. A survey reveals that half of Americans would consider living off the grid in order to keep their data safe.
Whatever your desire for going off-grid, some states are more popular places to live off the land than others. We’ve created a list of the best states to claim your slice of country heaven, based on what the experts say. Their reviews take into consideration factors, such as land cost, legalities of self-generated utilities and availability of renewable energy. If you have your own recommendations for the best places to go off-grid, please share them with us in the comments below!
The List: Best Off-Grid States In U.S., According to Experts
1. Alabama
Sweet home(stead) Alabama.
Off Grid Permaculture ranks this state No. 1, writing, “I considered 6 main categories of factors. Cost of living, freedom of lifestyle, water availability, how easy it is to grow food there, energy availability, and the community in that area. Each of these areas pulled in data from multiple sources, which I used to rank each state on a scale of 10 in each of those categories. Then I combined the categories by how important I think each one is, in order to come up with the overall score for each state.”
It’s top-ranking on more than one list.
“Alabama got the best overall score, and many southern states weren’t far behind. The warm climate and affordable price of land makes these areas particularly attractive for off-grid living,” Valley Food Storage writes.
2. California
California, the land of milk and honey. The name alludes to the state’s large farming industry. Farmland is one of the reasons it’s highly recommended for an off-grid lifestyle.
“California wins the title of ‘The Off-Grid State.’ If you live in Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Diego, you may well have an off-gridding Instagram-user right next door. For Californians, it appears off-grid living is about living an eco-conscious life,” HomeAdvisor writes.
The Doable Off-Grid Homestead: Cultivating a Simple Life by Hand . . . on a Budget
Money Inc has California at the top of their list, too, and gives us a glimpse into their lives: “In California, there is a large community of what is known as plugged-in off-gridders. These are people that access the Internet, but they live the off-grid lifestyle in many other ways. Examples of aspects of their lifestyle are keeping hens for their own eggs or hunting and gathering for food. A well-known off-grid community in California is Emerald Earth.”
3. Missouri
The Midwest treasure is also a great place to truly get away from the world.
Off-Grid Home says, “Much of the state is ideal for living off-grid. As long as you stay in rural areas, you’re unlikely to find any awkward restrictions. Many of the towns now have some form of building restrictions, but further afield, you’re unlikely to have problems.”
Laws are a big deal when it comes to off-grid living.
“Missouri is my top pick for a lot of reasons, including fair land prices, relaxed homesteading laws, fair land prices, a decent growing season, and plenty of water,” JeffSetter Travel writes.
4. Alaska
The Last Frontier might be the first place you’d think to head if you’re looking for a quiet, natural retreat.
“This is probably the most popular state to go off the grid. Alaska’s laws are so good to people who want to live off the grid that it is like it was designed that way. There are no prohibitions against gardening, and you can raise farm animals as long as you can provide warm housing and fenced pastures,” according to Survival Sullivan.
For winter lovers, Alaska, of course, would likely be the top pick on the list.
“Alaska is the best state to settle in if you want complete isolation and don’t mind the long winter months. The upside is that the land is cheap, but you’ll pay for it with a short growing season. Another benefit is that Alaska has the lowest taxes in the United States. There is no state income tax or statewide sales tax, meaning more money stays in your pocket,” according to Hillsborough Homesteading.
5. Tennessee
Backdoor Survival recommends The Volunteer State, saying, “Tennessee is one of the best states for off grid living. It has a warm, wet, long growing season, and rich soil. Fresh water runs down from the Appalachians, and land is cheap. The community in most areas of the state has remained rural and self-sufficient.”
And you definitely won’t be the lone off-gridder.
“Tennessee’s low cost of living, four seasons, and earning potential make it a top choice for living off the land. With over 69,000 farms across 10 million acres, new homesteaders will be part of a well-established and well-connected community,” WhyFarmIt writes.Leave your off-grid living tips in the comments!
Sources
- Off Grid Permaculture
- Valley Food Storage
- HomeAdvisor
- Money Inc
- Off-Grid Home
- JeffSetter Travel
- Survival Sullivan
- Hillsborough Homesteading
- Backdoor Survival
- WhyFarmIt
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.
Source: Study Finds
