Home / North Carolina / Onslow County
Onslow County
Zone 8a, 224 frost-free days, farmland at $6,189 an acre. Top hazard: hurricane.
5.1 out of 10 overall, #53 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
- 4.3Land cost
- 9.8Rain
- 9.8Sun
- 5.5Growing
- 6.0Rules
- 6.0Clean
- 0.5Hazards
- 4.0Farm country
- 0.4Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $6,189 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $219,500 source |
| Median rent | $1,198/mo source |
| People | 208,537 source |
| Farms (2022) | 342 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8a (8a–8b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 31 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 8 source |
| Frost-free days | 224 source |
| Rain, April–September | 34.4 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 57.1 in source |
| Prime farmland | 30% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 89.1°F / 33.8°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Jacksonville Eoc weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: The county zones its unincorporated land. Onslow County adopted county-wide zoning in phases in 2003-2005; the current Zoning Ordinance (effective July 1, 2021) covers all unincorporated land outside town jurisdictions, with RA (Rural Agriculture) as the main rural district. Onslow County Code, Appendix A Zoning, §§ 1.4, 1.17, 1.18 (Municode, Supp. 10, codified through Feb. 5, 2024)
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
The 2021 Zoning Ordinance's use table lists 'Camper or Recreational Vehicle (One Per Parcel)' as a residential use permitted in RA and by special use permit in R-8M, one per parcel. The county's Planning FAQ instead says occupying an RV requires a Special Use Permit (Board of Adjustment hearing) in RA, R-30M and R-8M; R-30M is not a district in the 2021 ordinance, so the FAQ may predate it. Ask the county before relying on by-right RA use.
“Camper or Recreational Vehicle (One Per Parcel)”
§ 9.2 Table 9-2 Permitted Uses Table (Residential Uses); county FAQ https://www.onslowcountync.gov/m/faq, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Onslow County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsWith conditions
The ordinance says an RV is not a tiny house; a tiny house on wheels that is not a HUD manufactured home would be treated as a camper/RV under the same one-per-parcel rule above.
“Tiny House: Recreational vehicles are not considered tiny houses.”
§ 2.2 Definitions (Tiny House; Recreational Vehicle), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Onslow County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationAllowed
A tiny house is treated as a single-family dwelling (or manufactured home), which is permitted by right in RA, R-20, R-15, R-10, R-8M and R-5. No minimum dwelling floor area found in the portions of Articles 2, 8 and 9 read.
“See "Dwelling, Single-Family" or "Manufactured Home."”
§ 2.2 Definitions (Tiny House); § 9.2 Table 9-2, 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 Onslow County before you buy land or build.
ChickensNot addressed
The Permitted Uses Table has no row for keeping poultry or small livestock (only bona fide farms, equestrian uses, horse stables and livestock sales); 'Agriculture' is defined to include poultry but is not itself a listed use. Also checked Chapter 4 (Animals) of the county code: no poultry-keeping rules.
§ 9.2 Table 9-2; § 2.2 Definitions (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 Onslow County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockNot addressed
No use-table row covers keeping goats or other livestock off a bona fide farm; horse stables are permitted as a residential accessory use in RA (by SUP in R-20 to R-5). Checked Article 9 and Chapter 4 (Animals).
§ 9.2 Table 9-2 (Agricultural Uses; Horse Stable), 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 Onslow County before you buy land or build.
BeesNot addressed
Bees appear only inside the definition of 'Agriculture'; no use-table row or standard for beekeeping.
“raising, and/or training of livestock including horses, bees, poultry, and other animals”
§ 2.2 Definitions (Agriculture), read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Onslow County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
Searched Articles 2, 8 and 9 of the zoning ordinance; toilets appear only as campground bathhouse requirements.
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 Onslow County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- RV living: the codified 2021 ordinance (Municode, through Feb 2024) and the county Planning FAQ disagree (permitted in RA vs. Special Use Permit). Amendments after Feb 2024 were not checked.
- Whether the county treats backyard chickens, goats or bees on non-farm RA land as allowed, an unlisted use (§ 9.3), or prohibited.
- Minimum dwelling size: Article 8 loaded only partially in the browser; none found in what was read.
What breaks here
13 federal disaster declarations covered Onslow County in the last 10 years: 7 hurricane, 3 tropical storm, 2 biological, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: hurricane (very high), winter weather (very 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) | 2 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 | 33.1 km source from the county centre |
Most of Onslow 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 | 2,505 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 369 source |
| Cattle | 1,901 source |
| Hogs | 146,056 source |
| Bee colonies | 859 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: Camp Lejeune Military Reservation; ABC One Hour Cleaners source |
|---|---|
| Toxics Release Inventory facilities | 9 source facilities registered with EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, active or open status |
| FEMA overall risk | Relatively High source |
| Sun, kWh per m² per day | 4.6 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 22 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Jones | 6.6 |
| Pender | 5.5 |
| Craven | 6.2 |
| Duplin | 6.1 |
| Lenoir | 5.7 |
| New Hanover | 4.0 |