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Anson County
Zone 8a, 231 frost-free days, farmland at $5,138 an acre. Top hazard: hurricane.
5.3 out of 10 overall, #36 of 100 NC counties with every factor weighted equally. Re-rank with your own weights
Scores out of 10, compared with the other 99 NC counties
- 7.1Land cost
- 1.7Rain
- 9.5Sun
- 6.3Growing
- 5.1Rules
- 5.7Clean
- 7.6Hazards
- 4.4Farm country
- 0.0Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $5,138 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $119,300 source |
| Median rent | $849/mo source |
| People | 21,903 source |
| Farms (2022) | 421 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8a source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 24 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 9 source |
| Frost-free days | 231 source |
| Rain, April–September | 25 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 46.3 in source |
| Prime farmland | 31% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 91.3°F / 32°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Wadesboro weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: The county zones its unincorporated land. Anson County adopted a countywide Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance on 5-7-2024 (last amended 7-21-2026) covering all unincorporated land; rural land is RA-5, RA-3, RA-2 or RA-1 (Rural Agricultural). The 2016 UNC SOG map showing partial zoning is out of date. Anson County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance (adopted 5-7-2024, amended 7-21-2026), § I.4 Jurisdiction, § VIII.2
These are rules for county land outside town limits. Towns have their own. Read on 2026-11-13.
Living in an RV on your landWith conditions
Living in a travel trailer/camper is banned anywhere in county zoning jurisdiction, except a temporary accessory use permit while the land is being developed under an active building permit: up to 12 months, 3-month extensions, 24 months maximum, only for people actively developing the land, potable water required, vacated within 30 days of the certificate of occupancy. Allowed in all districts (up to 2 RVs by Zoning Administrator, up to 5 by special use). A separate disaster-hardship permit exists.
“A temporary accessory use permit may be granted for occupation of a travel trailer/recreational vehicle in cases where the land is being developed”
§ XIII.2.8; § XIII.2.9 (amended 1/7/2025); § X.2 Table of Permitted Uses, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Anson County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsRestricted
No camping trailer, travel trailer or house trailer on a wheel chassis may be used for living or sleeping on any lot in the zoning jurisdiction (outside the temporary permits above). The flood section says tiny homes that do NOT meet the RV definition (licensed, road-ready, 400 sq ft or less) are residential structures, so a road-ready tiny house on wheels counts as an RV.
“shall be used for living, sleeping, or business purposes on any lot within the zoning jurisdiction of Anson County”
§ XIII.2.8; Flood definitions: Recreational Vehicle, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Anson County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationAllowed
'Dwelling, Single-Family (Tiny homes)' is a listed use with development standards (D) in RA-5, RA-3/RA-2/RA-1, R-40, R-20 and R-10. The standard: one principal dwelling per lot and no accessory dwelling units. No zoning minimum floor area found.
“Not more than one principal dwelling unit is allowed on a single lot (parcel) of land”
§ X.2 Table of Permitted Uses; § XIII.1.8 Dwelling, Single-Family (Tiny Homes), read 2026-11-13
State law: farm buildings outside town limits skip the building code (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-138(b4)).
State law: homes on 10+ acres in farm districts (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(b)).
State law: building permits (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-1110).
Confirm with Anson County before you buy land or build.
ChickensNot addressed
The use table has no row for keeping poultry or livestock outside a bona fide farm. 'Animal Husbandry' (special use in RA districts) explicitly excludes livestock and poultry. Unlisted uses go to the Zoning Administrator to match to the most similar listed use (§ X.2.1(G)).
“which are not generally considered domesticated animals, livestock or poultry, and not classified as a bona fide farm”
§ X.2; Definitions: Animal Husbandry, read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
State law: right to farm (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-701(a)).
Confirm with Anson County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockNot addressed
No use-table row covers keeping goats or other livestock outside a bona fide farm (the only goat mention is grazing inside solar farms). The RA districts' stated intent includes 'rural non-farm and farm operations'. Unlisted uses are interpreted by the Zoning Administrator.
“The intent of these Rural Agricultural Districts is to provide for rural non-farm and farm operations”
§ VIII.2.1; § X.2.1(G), read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
State law: right to farm (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-701(a)).
Confirm with Anson County before you buy land or build.
BeesNot addressed
Searched the ordinance for bees, hives, apiary and beekeeping; none is mentioned ('aviaries' appear under Animal Husbandry, which is birds).
Full text searched, read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Anson County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
Searched for toilet and privy; the only mention is a self-contained travel trailer's holding tank. Temporary RVs must get Anson County Environmental Health permits.
Full text searched, read 2026-11-13
State law: composting toilets are allowed, but you still need a septic permit (15A NCAC 18E .1001 (eff. Oct. 1, 2021)).
Confirm with Anson County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- How the Zoning Administrator classifies backyard chickens or a few goats on non-farm RA land.
- The zoning ordinance defines no 'tiny home' size; the only tiny-home language outside the use table is in the flood definitions.
What breaks here
10 federal disaster declarations covered Anson County in the last 10 years: 5 hurricane, 2 biological, 2 tropical storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: hurricane (relatively moderate), ice storm (relatively moderate), strong wind (relatively moderate). source
Gear that answers it
- Portable power station with solar panelRuns a freezer, fridge or medical device for a day or more when the grid is down, without fumesSee price on Amazon
- Stackable water storage (7-gallon)One gallon per person per day for drinking and cookingSee price on Amazon
- NOAA weather radio (hand-crank)Alerts when cell service and power are outSee price on Amazon
- Pocket mesh radioPairs with your phone to send texts over the meshFrom RAKwireless
We may earn from these links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Mesh radio coverage
| MeshCore radios heard (30 days) | 0 source |
|---|---|
| Repeaters | 0 source |
| County near a repeater | 0% source share of the county within 10 km of an active repeater — a rough line-of-sight guess, not a measured signal |
| Nearest repeater to the county centre | 34.8 km source from the county centre |
Most of Anson County is out of range. A solar repeater on high ground near the red X would cover the biggest gap. Solar repeater kits
Data: MeshCore map. Coverage assumes about 10 km per repeater; real range depends on height and terrain. State gap map
Animals nearby
Livestock already in the county is a fair sign of feed stores, vets and neighbours who know how. Check the county rules above before you bring animals home.
| Laying hens | 347,344 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 235 source |
| Cattle | 9,072 source |
| Hogs | 54,644 source |
| Bee colonies | 255 source |
- Chicken coop for 4–6 hensWhere chickens are allowed
- Beginner beehive kitBees help every garden
- Seed starting kit with heat matStart tomatoes and peppers indoors before your last frost
Clean ground, sun and power
| Active Superfund sites | None source |
|---|---|
| Toxics Release Inventory facilities | 11 source facilities registered with EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, active or open status |
| FEMA overall risk | Relatively Low source |
| Sun, kWh per m² per day | 4.56 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 2 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Richmond | 4.4 |
| Stanly | 5.0 |
| Montgomery | 5.4 |
| Union | 4.5 |
| Cabarrus | 4.7 |
| Scotland | 5.4 |