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Bladen County
Zone 8b, 226 frost-free days, farmland at $4,093 an acre. Top hazard: strong wind.
5.8 out of 10 overall, #11 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
- 8.3Land cost
- 7.9Rain
- 9.0Sun
- 6.9Growing
- 5.7Rules
- 7.0Clean
- 3.8Hazards
- 3.0Farm country
- 0.4Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $4,093 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $125,800 source |
| Median rent | $752/mo source |
| People | 29,591 source |
| Farms (2022) | 423 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8b (8a–8b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 29 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 8 source |
| Frost-free days | 226 source |
| Rain, April–September | 30.4 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 51.3 in source |
| Prime farmland | 44% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 90.6°F / 33.2°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Elizabethtown weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: The county zones its unincorporated land. Bladen County zones its planning jurisdiction (unincorporated county) under Appendix A, Zoning and Subdivisions, with RA, R, C, CON and I districts; the UNC School of Government map shows countywide zoning. UNC SOG County Zoning map Aug. 2016; Bladen County Code Appendix A (Municode Supp. 12), Sec. 2.6 'Planning Jurisdiction'
These are rules for county land outside town limits. Towns have their own. Read on 2026-11-13.
Living in an RV on your landRestricted
RVs are allowed only in approved campgrounds/RV parks (special use in RA and CON, with conditions in C). The campground section bars RVs from parcels not approved under those rules. A temporary residence during home construction or repair (6 months, renewable) is allowed in all districts, but the code names only a Class A manufactured home for it, not an RV.
“Recreational vehicles shall not be permitted on parcels, lots, or other areas not approved through these regulations.”
App. A § 11.25(c)(3); § 11.84(d)(5), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Bladen County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsRestricted
Tiny houses are not defined. A towed tiny house fits the RV definition, and RVs are limited to approved campgrounds/RV parks.
“A vehicular type unit primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use”
App. A § 2.6 (Recreational Vehicle); § 11.25, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Bladen County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationAllowed
Single-family dwellings (including modular) are permitted by right in RA, R, C, CON and I. A code-wide search found no minimum dwelling floor area.
“Any building, structure, manufactured home or mobile home, or part thereof, used and occupied for human habitation or intended to be so used”
App. A § 8.10 Table of Permitted Uses; § 2.6 (Dwelling), 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 Bladen County before you buy land or build.
ChickensAllowed
Agricultural uses are permitted by right in RA, R, C, CON and I, and the ordinance defines agriculture to include poultry husbandry. No bird limits or setbacks were found.
“aquaculture, truck farming, orchards, forestry, and animal and poultry husbandry.”
App. A § 2.6 (Agriculture); § 8.10 Table of Permitted Uses, 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 Bladen County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockAllowed
Agricultural uses (including bona fide farms) are permitted by right in RA, R, C, CON and I; agriculture is defined to include raising livestock and pasturage. Riding stables are permitted in RA. No animal counts or setbacks were found.
“The practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock”
App. A § 2.6 (Agriculture); § 8.10 Table of Permitted Uses, 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 Bladen County before you buy land or build.
BeesNot addressed
A code-wide Municode search for bees and apiary found nothing. Agricultural uses are permitted in every district, but bees are not named in the ordinance's definition of agriculture.
code-wide search, read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Bladen County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
A code-wide search for toilet, privy and compost found only manufactured home park, farmworker housing and water-conservation provisions; nothing on composting toilets.
code-wide search, 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 Bladen County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- Whether an RV can serve as the 'Temporary Emergency, Construction, and Repair Residence' (§ 11.84(d)(5)) is not stated; the section names only a Class A manufactured home, and § 11.25 bars RVs outside approved campgrounds. Confirm with Bladen planning.
- The countywide status relies on the 2016 UNC SOG map plus the ordinance's countywide district scheme; the ordinance's applicability article (Art. 1) was not opened.
- Municode shows the code current through May 5, 2025 (Supp. 12); later amendments were not checked.
What breaks here
11 federal disaster declarations covered Bladen County in the last 10 years: 6 hurricane, 2 biological, 2 tropical storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: strong wind (relatively high), hurricane (relatively high), tornado (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
- NOAA weather radio (hand-crank)Alerts when cell service and power are outSee price on Amazon
- Stackable water storage (7-gallon)One gallon per person per day for drinking and cookingSee 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 | 4% 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 | 28.9 km source from the county centre |
Most of Bladen 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.
| Laying hens | withheld by USDA to avoid disclosing individual farms source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 168 source |
| Cattle | 4,358 source |
| Hogs | 688,866 source |
| Bee colonies | 188 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 | 12 source facilities registered with EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, active or open status |
| FEMA overall risk | Relatively Moderate source |
| Sun, kWh per m² per day | 4.52 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 |
|---|---|
| Columbus | 6.0 |
| Sampson | 5.7 |
| Cumberland | 5.2 |
| Robeson | 5.9 |
| Brunswick | 5.3 |
| Pender | 5.5 |