Find your land and your freedom

The best and worst states of off-grid living in America

Are you thinking about breaking ties with the network and carving out a piece of freedom? Across America, thousands of people are trading suburban sprawl for land, wood heat, and a life where neighbors wave instead of code inspectors.

But when you start hunting for the perfect homestead location, the map suddenly becomes huge and confusing. This is why Acorn Earth Laboratory the team has created a powerful software package that analyzes over twenty real-world factors – from rainfall and seasonal temperatures to zoning regulations, topography and population density. With this data, we evaluated all 3,143 counties in every state to discover the most promising and most challenging places to live off the grid.

So let’s get out there and explore country, region by region, to see where dreams of going off the grid thrive and where they get tangled up in bureaucracy and harsh reality.

Southern states: warm, friendly and friendly to the wallet

Off the grid, but more connected than ever.

If you’re looking for cheap land and mild winters, the South has a welcome mat for you. Alabama still holds some of the best-kept secrets of life off the grid. It’s like a quieter, cheaper part of Georgia, especially in the northeast where zoning pressure is low and land is still affordable.

Arkansas follows closely behind dense forests, fertile valleys and rolling green hills. Sure, the humidity makes for a sticky summer, but for the price it’s hard to complain.

Mississippi and Missouri round out the list of southern honors. Mississippi offers extremely cheap acreage and shockingly little regulation, making it ideal for experienced farmers who aren’t afraid of heat or humidity. However, Missouri may be one of the best all-around states in the entire country. The Ozarks provide endless sources of water, bountiful timber, temperate seasons, and communities already familiar with self-sufficiency.

Deep South: beauty with bite

Don’t assume that every southern state is a paradise. Louisiana has character, but between swamplands, petrochemical zones, hurricanes and relentless mosquitoes, it demands a lot from visitors.

Florida also tests your commitment in the face of humidity, hurricanes, and a dense population. North Florida has a lot of promise, but the tropical south is tough unless you prepare heavily for storm resilience and water management.

Georgia falls somewhere in the middle. There is still room for tiny cottages and homes in the mountains of North Georgia, but rising land prices and tightening zoning regulations are slowly closing the window. Meanwhile, industrial-scale agriculture dominates the southern part of the state, making living a peaceful and self-sufficient life more difficult than most expect.

Western frontier: majestic but demanding

If your heart beats faster at the word “wilderness,” the West is calling you by name. Alaska tops the list of border areas. This is the last boss of off-grid life. If you are willing to brave the darkness, snow, isolation and wildlife, it will reward you with an unparalleled sense of freedom and raw beauty.

Idaho and Montana lag behind in popularity. Idaho’s alpine lakes, pine forests and large swathes of public land tempt thousands of people each year, though increasing migration is quickly driving up land prices. Montana still promises space and solitude, but the cost of large plots deters many dreamers from ever planting an apple tree.

Further south, Utah and Nevada are dazzling with wide-open deserts and minimalist landscapes, but water scarcity is changing everything. You will need real infrastructure, not just good intentions. Arizona and New Mexico have the same rugged appearance. With abundant solar potential and a fascinating desert culture, they are inspiring, but the lack of water makes long-term, self-sufficient living a technical challenge.

Pacific Coast: Gorgeous but regulated

Head to the Pacific Coast and you’ll find postcard-worthy scenery – along with some of the nation’s highest barriers to offline freedom. California may be beautiful, but it is plagued by zoning restrictions, wildfire dangers and sky-high land costs. Oregon and Washington once attracted settlers with their mild climates and abundant forests, but incoming migration and increasing demands for land are quickly closing the doors.

However, if you’re determined and don’t mind being located east of the Cascades, both Oregon and Washington have inland regions with less regulation, friendlier zoning, and pockets of affordable land where off-grid living is still possible.

Heartland: The Quiet Center offers real possibilities

Don’t scroll through the Midwest just yet. States like Kentucky and Tennessee combine mild climates, moderate rainfall, loose restrictions and a small-town culture that supports garden life, chickens and the warmth of wood. For this reason, Tennessee has become a hot spot even as land prices begin to rise. East Tennessee, with its rolling hills and water-rich valleys, still holds enormous potential.

Ohio, southern Indiana and lower Illinois also offer plenty of promise once they leave industrial agricultural zones. You can target counties surrounded by forests and water, where small communities still value land stewardship and neighborhood resiliency. Missouri’s Ozarks naturally influence this region, making it one of the most consistent homestead belts in the country.

Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota offer a northern version of this formula. Yes, winters are hard, but forests, lakes and rich soils reward you with wildlife, water and silence.

Plains: endless sky and serious weather

Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas tempt many with extremely low land prices and vast open spaces. However, they are also accompanied by strong winds, tornado activity and cold winters. South Dakota’s Black Hills and hidden corners of North Dakota continue to attract determined settlers, especially those who have roots there or a strong social network to connect with.

Northeast: high appeal, high cost

Enter New England and you’ll hit a wall of beauty – maple forests, old barns and winding streams – but also a wave of regulation and higher costs. Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Delaware burden you with red tape from the moment you develop your house plans. Population density makes private life more difficult than it seems.

However, there are bright spots. Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire offer forested lands, mountain waters, and a culture that honors independence. Yes, the winters are long and the land isn’t cheap, but the people who live there understand wood stoves, root cellars and quiet resilience.

And then there’s New York – unexpectedly promising. Skip the town and head north. Upstate New York is home to forgotten towns, affordable land, and vast swaths of forested hillsides just begging for homes and community rebirth.

Mid-Atlantic: regulations with positive accents

Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania split into two personalities. The eastern sections near Washington and the coast are congested, expensive and a regulatory nightmare. But as you drift toward the crest of the Appalachian Mountains, everything changes. The land is opening up, zoning is loosening, and communities are becoming warmer and more attuned to self-sustaining traditions.

Pennsylvania is notable for the presence of the Amish and Mennonites. Settling near these communities and you’ll discover a deep well of craftsmanship, resourcefulness, and neighborly exchange that’s perfect for off-grid living.

Meanwhile, Delaware and New Jersey are a tough sell – expensive, densely congested and hostile to alternative building styles unless you find rare pockets like the Pine Barrens.

Southwest and Texas: Desert freedom if you can hack it

Arizona and New Mexico paint a romantic picture: brick homes, solar panels gleaming under wide skies, and artsy off-grid towns that look like they were dreamed up in a survivalist’s sketchbook. However, without water infrastructure, these dreams quickly fade away. These places reward technical planners, not casual hikers.

Texas, on the other hand, encompasses almost every landscape America has to offer. East Texas – with its pine forests, gentle rivers and green pastures – stands out as one of the best places in the country to settle. West Texas, vast and arid, leans more toward ranching and isolation than garden life.

Appalachia and the mountains to the east: rich land and honest neighbors

Appalachia continues to be one of the most underrated regions for off-grid living. West Virginia offers breathtaking scenery, deep forests, and land prices so low they shock newcomers. Some cities are struggling economically, but this opens the door for homesteaders looking to invest locally, build community and revitalize a fading rural economy.

Eastern Kentucky, western Virginia and western North Carolina have the same pulse: deep forests, clear streams, friendly people and a culture that still chooses independence over bureaucracy.

Northern level: cold hands, warm rewards

Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Maine remind us that real life off the grid sometimes means snowdrifts and frosty mornings. But for those who love the crackle of firewood, the crunch of snow under their boots, and the steady rhythm of growing, harvesting, and heating with their own hands, these places offer a satisfaction that no suburb can match.

The last word: freedom belongs to the prepared

The truth is that in every state in America there is a place where you can live off the grid if your expectations and skills match the country. Acorn Earth Laboratory the team created detailed guides for each state and each of the 3,143 counties, ranking them by price, resource abundance, zoning restrictions and long-term sustainability. These guys are worth watching and supporting!

Whether you’re interested in Maine’s hardwood forests, Missouri’s rolling hills, or Georgia’s red clay, the data points you in the right direction.

Most importantly, don’t let endless research become a trap. At some point you need to choose a place, pack your tools and get started. Somewhere there is a piece of land waiting for you – ready to accommodate your steps, garden rows, piles of firewood and the life you have dreamed of.