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Pasquotank County
Zone 8a, 238 frost-free days, farmland at $4,382 an acre. Top hazard: winter weather.
4.9 out of 10 overall, #65 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
- 6.0Land cost
- 5.4Rain
- 2.7Sun
- 7.2Growing
- 6.4Rules
- 7.1Clean
- 7.3Hazards
- 1.9Farm country
- 0.0Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $4,382 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $223,300 source |
| Median rent | $1,146/mo source |
| People | 40,830 source |
| Farms (2022) | 133 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8a source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 27 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 17 source |
| Frost-free days | 238 source |
| Rain, April–September | 28.2 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 49.6 in source |
| Prime farmland | 35% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 88.2°F / 31.8°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Elizabeth City weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: The county zones its unincorporated land. Pasquotank County divides its zoning jurisdiction into residential, commercial, industrial and A-1/A-2 Agricultural districts. Zoning Ordinance of the County of Pasquotank (as amended 6-21-2021), Section 2.01; Permitted Uses table updated 2023 (https://co.pasquotank.nc.us/s/ZONING-ORDINANCE-PERMITTED-USES-2023.pdf)
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
Living in a camping trailer/RV is prohibited both permanently and temporarily anywhere outside a travel trailer park; the use table marks Camping Trailer/Recreational Vehicle as not permitted in every district.
“The use of an overnight camping trailer as a temporary residence outside of a travel trailer park shall be specifically prohibited.”
§ 7.03 Note 9; § 7.01 Table of Permitted Uses, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Pasquotank County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsRestricted
The ordinance does not mention tiny houses, but it says any travel-trailer-type structure counts as a travel trailer 'regardless of other titles', and living in one outside a travel trailer park is prohibited.
“Such structures shall be considered travel trailers regardless of other titles that may also be applicable such as camper, mini, mobile homes, etc.”
Article 2 Definitions, no. 115 (Trailer, Overnight Camping), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Pasquotank County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationAllowed
Single-family dwellings are permitted (P) in all residential districts and A-1/A-2. No minimum dwelling floor area was found; minimum lot sizes run 15,000 to 35,000 sq ft by district.
§ 7.01 Table of Permitted Uses, 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 Pasquotank County before you buy land or build.
ChickensAllowed
'Agricultural Production (livestock)', SIC 0200, is permitted only in A-1 and A-2, not in residential districts. The ordinance tells staff to use the 1987 SIC Manual to classify uses, and SIC Major Group 02 includes poultry and eggs.
“Agricultural Production (livestock) 0200”
§ 7.01 Table of Permitted Uses; § 7.02, 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 Pasquotank County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockAllowed
Agricultural Production (livestock) is permitted by right in A-1 and A-2 and not permitted in the R, RMH, C, I, O&I, M-F or P-1 districts.
“Agricultural Production (livestock) 0200”
§ 7.01 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 Pasquotank County before you buy land or build.
BeesAllowed
Bees are not named. Under the SIC Manual that the ordinance uses for classification, apiaries are in Major Group 02 (code 0279), which is 'Agricultural Production (livestock)', permitted in A-1 and A-2 only.
“Agricultural Production (livestock) 0200”
§ 7.01; § 7.02, read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Pasquotank County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
Searched the full zoning ordinance and the 2023 use table for composting toilet, privy and toilet: nothing.
Full text 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 Pasquotank County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- Chickens and bees are classed under livestock only through the SIC Manual the ordinance points to (§ 7.02); the ordinance text never names poultry or bees for this use, so the Zoning Administrator's call governs.
- No provision for a few backyard hens on a residential (R) lot was found; under the table they are not permitted there.
- The full ordinance PDF is the 6-21-2021 version; the use table PDF is 2023. Later text amendments, if any, were not checked (amlegal hosts Chapter 157 Zoning).
What breaks here
10 federal disaster declarations covered Pasquotank 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 (relatively high), hurricane (relatively moderate), lightning (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
- 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 | 25.7 km source from the county centre |
Most of Pasquotank 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 | 136 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 25 source |
| Cattle | 322 source |
| Hogs | withheld by USDA to avoid disclosing individual farms source |
| Bee colonies | withheld by USDA to avoid disclosing individual farms 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 | 3 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 | 4.35 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 6 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Camden | 5.1 |
| Perquimans | 5.6 |
| Currituck | 4.5 |
| Chowan | 5.2 |
| Tyrrell | 6.0 |
| Gates | 5.4 |