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Cumberland County
Zone 8b, 227 frost-free days, farmland at $5,708 an acre. Top hazard: winter weather.
5.2 out of 10 overall, #44 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
- 5.5Land cost
- 4.8Rain
- 7.8Sun
- 5.9Growing
- 7.1Rules
- 3.6Clean
- 4.5Hazards
- 4.7Farm country
- 2.8Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $5,708 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $183,700 source |
| Median rent | $1,156/mo source |
| People | 336,749 source |
| Farms (2022) | 327 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8b (8a–8b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 30 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 10 source |
| Frost-free days | 227 source |
| Rain, April–September | 27.9 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 47.9 in source |
| Prime farmland | 31% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 90.8°F / 32.6°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Fayetteville (Pwc) weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: The county zones its unincorporated land. The Cumberland County Zoning Ordinance governs all land outside municipal jurisdiction; rural land is mainly A1 (2-acre lots) and A1A Agricultural. Cumberland County Zoning Ordinance, amendments through Dec 15, 2025 (Sec. 104 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 landNot addressed
The ordinance defines RVs as temporary living quarters and regulates RV parks/campgrounds (Sec. 921, Special Use in A1), but the use matrix and temporary-use section (Sec. 1001) say nothing about living in an RV on your own lot. Sec. 402 says unaddressed uses take the standards of the most closely related use, so staff would decide.
“designed primarily for use as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use”
Art. II definition 'Recreational Vehicle'; § 402; § 921; § 1001, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Cumberland County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsNot addressed
Tiny houses on wheels are not named anywhere in the ordinance; a wheeled unit would most likely be treated as an RV, which is itself not addressed as a residence outside RV parks.
full text searched (tiny, recreational vehicle, travel trailer, camper), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Cumberland County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationAllowed
Single-family dwellings are permitted (P) in A1, A1A and all R districts (not in CD Conservancy). No minimum dwelling floor area found; A1 minimum lot is 2 acres.
“DWELLING, SINGLE & MULTIPLE FAMILY”
§ 403 Use Matrix; § 1104 District Dimensional Provisions, 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 Cumberland County before you buy land or build.
ChickensAllowed
'Agricultural or rural farm use' is permitted (P) in CD, A1, A1A and most residential districts, and 'Agriculture' is defined to include poultry. No acreage minimum or setback for poultry found.
“grains, fruits, vegetables, ornamental and flowering plants, dairy, livestock, poultry, and all other forms of agriculture”
Art. II definition 'Agriculture'; § 403 Use Matrix, 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 Cumberland County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockAllowed
Livestock falls under 'Agricultural or rural farm use', permitted (P) in CD, A1, A1A and most residential districts. No acreage minimum or animal setback found in zoning.
“AGRICULTURAL OR RURAL FARM USE P P P”
§ 403 Use Matrix; Art. II definition 'Agriculture', 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 Cumberland County before you buy land or build.
BeesNot addressed
Bees, hives and apiaries are not named. 'Agriculture' covers 'all other forms of agriculture' as defined in G.S. 106-581.1, which may include beekeeping, but the ordinance does not say so itself.
full text searched (bee, hive, apiar), read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Cumberland County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
Searched the zoning ordinance for composting, toilet, privy and outhouse; only RV-park toilet/bathhouse standards appear. Sewage is left to Environmental Health.
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 Cumberland County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- Only the zoning ordinance was read; the county's general Code of Ordinances (e.g. a nuisance or animal chapter) was not checked for RV occupancy or animal limits.
- The file name says 'adopted 1-16-24' but the county page and the PDF footer say amendments through 2025-12-15.
- Whether staff treat a single RV used as a residence as a 'Campground/RV Park' (Special Use) or as unaddressed under Sec. 402 is not stated in the text.
What breaks here
10 federal disaster declarations covered Cumberland County in the last 10 years: 5 hurricane, 2 biological, 2 tropical storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: winter weather (very high), hurricane (relatively high), lightning (relatively high). 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) | 4 source |
|---|---|
| Repeaters | 2 source |
| County near a repeater | 28% 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 | 11.7 km source from the county centre |
Most of Cumberland 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 | 1,971 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 488 source |
| Cattle | 2,818 source |
| Hogs | 86,251 source |
| Bee colonies | 214 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 | 2: Cape Fear Wood Preserving; Carolina Transformer Co. source |
|---|---|
| Toxics Release Inventory facilities | 19 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 | 4.47 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 29 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Harnett | 5.4 |
| Hoke | 5.5 |
| Sampson | 5.7 |
| Robeson | 5.9 |
| Bladen | 5.8 |
| Lee | 4.7 |