Home / North Carolina / Cherokee County
Cherokee County
Zone 7b, 180 frost-free days, farmland at $6,855 an acre. Top hazard: landslide.
4.3 out of 10 overall, #89 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
- 3.8Land cost
- 6.9Rain
- 1.6Sun
- 0.9Growing
- 9.3Rules
- 6.2Clean
- 7.4Hazards
- 2.7Farm country
- 0.0Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $6,855 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $208,700 source |
| Median rent | $800/mo source |
| People | 29,197 source |
| Farms (2022) | 246 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 7b (7a–7b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Apr 22 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Oct 20 source |
| Frost-free days | 180 source |
| Rain, April–September | 29.8 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 61.9 in source |
| Prime farmland | 5% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 84.4°F / 27°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Murphy 4Ese weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: We found no county zoning ordinance. Cherokee County has no countywide zoning: the UNC School of Government county zoning map (Aug. 2016) shows it as having no county zoning, and the county's Building Code Enforcement page lists only watershed, flood damage prevention and 911 addressing ordinances. UNC School of Government, County Zoning -- 2016 map; Cherokee County Building Code Enforcement page (https://www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov/150/Building-Code-Enforcement)
These are rules for county land outside town limits. Towns have their own. Read on 2026-11-13.
Living in an RV on your landNo county zoning
No county zoning ordinance reaches unincorporated land, so this use is not restricted by county zoning. The county's ordinances list (watershed, flood, addressing) does not regulate it.
“No county zoning”
Map legend, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Cherokee County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsNo county zoning
No county zoning ordinance reaches unincorporated land, so this use is not restricted by county zoning. The county's ordinances list (watershed, flood, addressing) does not regulate it.
“No county zoning”
Map legend, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Cherokee County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationNo county zoning
No county zoning ordinance reaches unincorporated land, so this use is not restricted by county zoning. The county's ordinances list (watershed, flood, addressing) does not regulate it.
“No county zoning”
Map legend, 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 Cherokee County before you buy land or build.
ChickensNo county zoning
No county zoning ordinance reaches unincorporated land, so this use is not restricted by county zoning. The county's ordinances list (watershed, flood, addressing) does not regulate it.
“No county zoning”
Map legend, 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 Cherokee County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockNo county zoning
No county zoning ordinance reaches unincorporated land, so this use is not restricted by county zoning. The county's ordinances list (watershed, flood, addressing) does not regulate it.
“No county zoning”
Map legend, 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 Cherokee County before you buy land or build.
BeesNo county zoning
No county zoning ordinance reaches unincorporated land, so this use is not restricted by county zoning. The county's ordinances list (watershed, flood, addressing) does not regulate it.
“No county zoning”
Map legend, read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Cherokee County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
No county zoning; the county's listed ordinances (watershed protection, flood damage prevention, 911 addressing) and the July 2026 draft High Impact Land Use Ordinance do not mention composting toilets. Left to state rules.
Ordinances list, 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 Cherokee County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- The UNC map is from August 2016; the county site in Nov 2026 showed no zoning ordinance, but I did not find a current county statement saying in words that there is no zoning.
- A July 2026 draft High Impact Land Use Ordinance (https://www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2486) would apply to unincorporated areas; its text I searched mentions no RVs, campers or livestock, and its adoption status is unknown.
- A search result indicated the Bear Paw Service District near Murphy adopted its own zoning ordinance in 1996; I did not open it. Land inside that district may have restrictions.
- Towns (Murphy, Andrews) and their ETJs have their own zoning, not covered here.
What breaks here
10 federal disaster declarations covered Cherokee County in the last 10 years: 4 hurricane, 2 tropical storm, 2 biological, 1 severe storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: landslide (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively moderate), ice storm (relatively moderate). source
Gear that answers it
- 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
- 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
- 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 | 32.3 km source from the county centre |
Most of Cherokee 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 | 127 source |
| Cattle | 6,440 source |
| Hogs | 50 source |
| Bee colonies | 200 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 | 8 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 | 4.32 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 1 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Graham | 4.5 |
| Clay | 5.0 |
| Macon | 5.4 |
| Swain | 4.8 |
| Jackson | 5.3 |
| Haywood | 5.4 |