Best Places to Live in North Dakota

Off-grid & homestead laws in North Dakota

How North Dakota treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. Scores feed the national rankings; rules often vary by county.

• Building-code freedomState code mainly cities/adopting counties; rural may opt out.ICC / NAHB code-adoption summaries (2026) ↗local-option
• Greywater reuseNo residential greywater provision; treated as wastewater.Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer (2026) ↗none
• Rainwater harvestingLegal for domestic; permit for irrigation over 5 acres.NCSL (2026) ↗unrestricted
• Zoning / land-use freedomEnabling framework only; many rural counties unzoned.American Planning Association / Lincoln Institute (2026) ↗local-control
• Water rightsAppropriation by permit + limited prior riparian; domestic/stock exempt.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗hybrid
• Right-to-farm protection2012 constitutional right to farm + statutory protection.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗strong
• Cottage-food / home salesFood Freedom Act 2017; any non-meat incl TCS; allows interstate sales.Institute for Justice / Forrager (2026) ↗food-freedom
• Property tax burdenMedian ~0.9% effective rate across 53 counties.Census ACS (county median) (2023) ↗moderate
• Income tax burdenGraduated but very low, top 2.5%.Tax Foundation (2026) ↗graduated-low
• Homestead exemptionPrimary Residence Credit up to $1,600/yr (HB1176).Lincoln Institute / state revenue departments (2026) ↗moderate

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

All 53 North Dakota counties, ranked

1. 1Grant County77
2. 2Hettinger County77
3. 3Cavalier County76
4. 4Adams County76
5. 5Oliver County76
6. 6Towner County75
7. 7McHenry County75
8. 8Wells County74
9. 9Renville County74
10. 10Bowman County74
11. 11Sheridan County74
12. 12Mercer County74
13. 13Pembina County74
14. 14Eddy County74
15. 15Slope County74
16. 16Burke County73
17. 17Divide County73
18. 18Griggs County73
19. 19Pierce County73
20. 20Golden Valley County72
21. 21Billings County72
22. 22LaMoure County72
23. 23Foster County72
24. 24Benson County72
25. 25Kidder County72
26. 26Logan County72
27. 27Bottineau County72
28. 28Sargent County71
29. 29McIntosh County71
30. 30Steele County71
31. 31Dunn County71
32. 32Emmons County71
33. 33Ramsey County71
34. 34Nelson County70
35. 35Dickey County70
36. 36Stark County69
37. 37Walsh County69
38. 38Mountrail County68
39. 39Traill County68
40. 40McLean County68
41. 41Ransom County66
42. 42Morton County66
43. 43Sioux County65
44. 44Richland County65
45. 45McKenzie County64
46. 46Rolette County64
47. 47Stutsman County63
48. 48Barnes County63
49. 49Ward County62
50. 50Williams County62
51. 51Grand Forks County61
52. 52Burleigh County58
53. 53Cass County53