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Hoke County
Zone 8a, 214 frost-free days, farmland at $5,488 an acre. Top hazard: hurricane.
5.5 out of 10 overall, #22 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
- 5.6Land cost
- 3.8Rain
- 5.9Sun
- 4.0Growing
- 6.7Rules
- 7.5Clean
- 6.2Hazards
- 4.0Farm country
- 5.7Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $5,488 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $196,000 source |
| Median rent | $1,047/mo source |
| People | 53,102 source |
| Farms (2022) | 185 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8a (8a–8b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Apr 3 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 3 source |
| Frost-free days | 214 source |
| Rain, April–September | 26.7 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 47 in source |
| Prime farmland | 24% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 90.7°F / 32°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Raeford weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: The county zones its unincorporated land. The Hoke County Zoning Ordinance applies to all unincorporated land outside town ETJs, divided into districts such as RP (Rural Preservation) and RA-20 (Residential Agricultural). Hoke County Zoning Ordinance (amended, county PDF 9-3-25), Sections 1.3 and 2.2
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
An RV may be lived in only as temporary living quarters while a building permit for a house is open, with a zoning permit plus Environmental Health and Building Inspections permits; allowed in all districts on that basis.
“Recreational vehicles, campers, travel trailers, or any other form of non-residential structure may not be used as a habitable living space except as permitted”
§ 3.2.12; § 5.23 J (Temporary Living Quarters), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Hoke County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsWith conditions
The ordinance does not define tiny houses; a towable unit of 400 sq ft or less on one chassis meets its RV definition, so the same temporary-during-construction rule applies.
“A vehicle which is built on single chassis, four hundred (400) square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection”
Ch. 15 Definitions, Recreational Vehicle (RV); § 3.2.12, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Hoke County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationAllowed
Single-family dwellings are permitted by right in RP, RA-20, R-20, R-15 and other residential districts; no minimum dwelling floor area was found in the zoning ordinance (the house still has to meet the state building code).
§ 4.2 Table of Uses (Residential Uses: Single Family Dwelling = P in RP, RA-20), 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 Hoke County before you buy land or build.
ChickensNot addressed
The use table's only animal row, 'Animal Production & Support', expressly excludes swine and poultry, and no other row or standard covers keeping poultry; read the Table of Uses and searched for poultry, chicken and fowl.
“Animal Production & Support - Excluding swine and poultry”
§ 4.2 Table of Uses (Agriculture 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 Hoke County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockAllowed
'Animal Production & Support' (excluding swine and poultry) is permitted by right in RP, RA-20, R-20 and R-15; livestock is defined to include goats, sheep, cattle and horses. No acreage minimum is stated.
“LIVESTOCK - Shall include but is not limited to, equine animals, bovine animals, sheep, goats, llamas, and swine.”
§ 4.2 Table of Uses (Agriculture Uses); Ch. 15 Definitions, 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 Hoke County before you buy land or build.
BeesNot addressed
Searched the full ordinance for bees, apiary and beekeeping; no mention.
County ordinance, read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Hoke County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
Searched the full zoning ordinance for compost and toilet; the only compost reference is to compost bins for non-residential uses (§ 10.6.1).
County ordinance, 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 Hoke County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- Whether the county treats backyard chickens as allowed under the general agriculture rows or prohibits them; the use table excludes poultry from its animal row and says nothing else.
- Whether a tiny house on wheels built to ANSI 119.5 is treated as an RV by the zoning office (the ordinance has no tiny-house definition).
What breaks here
11 federal disaster declarations covered Hoke County in the last 10 years: 6 hurricane, 2 biological, 2 tropical storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: hurricane (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively moderate), winter weather (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
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 | 3 source |
| County near a repeater | 57% 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 | 9.2 km source from the county centre |
Most of the county is within reach of a repeater. A pocket radio paired with your phone gets you on it. Pocket mesh radios
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 | 734 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 348 source |
| Cattle | 1,535 source |
| Hogs | 80,751 source |
| Bee colonies | 98 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 | 4 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 | 4.44 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 7 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Scotland | 5.4 |
| Moore | 5.1 |
| Robeson | 5.9 |
| Cumberland | 5.2 |
| Lee | 4.7 |
| Harnett | 5.4 |