In an emergency, call 911 (US) or 999 (UK) and follow instructions from local officials first.
Ready Survival Kits

Off-grid living · US

Choosing land

Check soil, water, hazards, climate and cost before you buy land for self-reliant living.

By The Ready TeamExpert review: pendingSources checked 29 October 2026

Quick card · Choosing landSources checked 29 Oct 2026

Before

  • Soil: draw the parcel on Web Soil Survey and read its suitability ratings. 1
  • Hazards: check FEMA's National Risk Index and Wildfire Risk to Communities. 2 3
  • Climate: find the USDA hardiness zone for growing and the DOE climate zone for building. 4 5
  • Water: in Western states, water rights are generally separate from the land. Check with the state water agency. 6
  • Price: in 2025 U.S. pasture averaged $1,920 an acre and cropland $5,830, with big differences between states. 7
  • Ask the local building department what codes apply before you plan a building. 8

Where to look

Start with our off-grid location finder, which ranks U.S. counties by natural hazard losses, flooding, wildfire, sunshine, rainfall, soil and growing season. Then check individual parcels with the tools below.

How much land?

A 2016 study of ten U.S. diets put the farmland needed to feed one person at 0.13 to 1.08 hectares a year, about 0.32 to 2.67 acres. 9 Add room for a house, woodlot, water and land you can’t farm. The land and garden calculator does the math for your household.

Soil

Web Soil Survey is free from USDA. Draw your parcel (up to 100,000 acres), open the Soil Map, then use “Suitabilities and Limitations for Use” for ratings, which you can print as a PDF. 1

Hazards

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk down to the census tract. 2 For wildfire, use the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Risk to Communities. 3 That’s community-level risk. For flooding on a specific parcel, see FEMA’s official flood map at the Flood Map Service Center, and avoid floodplains for anything you can’t afford to lose.

Climate

Two maps matter. USDA hardiness zones (1 to 13) are based on the average coldest winter night and tell you what perennials will survive. 4 DOE climate zones (1 to 8) tell you how to insulate and heat or cool a building. 5

Water rights

Owning land beside a stream doesn’t always mean you can use its water. Western states generally allocate water under the prior appropriation doctrine, which separates the right to use water from the land. 6 Check with the state water agency before you buy.

Price

USDA’s 2025 survey put average U.S. farm real estate at $4,350 an acre, pasture at $1,920 and cropland at $5,830. Pasture ranged from $630 an acre in New Mexico to $16,900 in Rhode Island. 7

Building rules

Codes vary by state and county. In Pennsylvania, for example, structural lumber must carry a grade mark, with exceptions for agricultural buildings and recreational cabins. 8 Ask the local building department before you plan.

Sources

  1. USDA NRCS, Getting Started With Web Soil Survey
  2. FEMA, National Risk Index
  3. USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities
  4. USDA ARS, Plant Hardiness Zone Map: How to Use the Maps
  5. PNNL for U.S. DOE, Guide to Determining Climate Zone by County (PNNL-33270)
  6. USDA Forest Service, Water Rights
  7. USDA NASS, Land Values 2025 Summary
  8. Penn State Extension, Using Your Own Lumber for Building Projects
  9. Peters CJ et al. Carrying capacity of U.S. agricultural land: Ten diet scenarios. Elementa, 2016