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Perquimans County
Zone 8a, 238 frost-free days, farmland at $3,918 an acre. Top hazard: hurricane.
5.6 out of 10 overall, #21 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
- 7.4Land cost
- 6.0Rain
- 2.7Sun
- 7.4Growing
- 5.1Rules
- 9.0Clean
- 6.9Hazards
- 2.8Farm country
- 2.7Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $3,918 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $211,600 source |
| Median rent | $1,061/mo source |
| People | 13,146 source |
| Farms (2022) | 137 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8a source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 24 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 14 source |
| Frost-free days | 238 source |
| Rain, April–September | 28.8 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 50.4 in source |
| Prime farmland | 38% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 88.4°F / 31.8°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Edenton weather station, 22 km from the county centre: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: Unclear. Perquimans County has a zoning ordinance (Ordinance No. 107, adopted 2002, amended through June 6, 2023) with RA, HA, RA-43, RA-32, RA-25 and RA-15 rural/residential districts, but it applies to areas designated on the zoning map, and I did not confirm the map covers every unincorporated parcel. Perquimans County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 104 Jurisdiction and Sec. 601 Zoning Districts
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
RVs/travel trailers are not a listed dwelling use in any district; campgrounds are a special use in RA-43/RA-32. The only RV-as-home allowance is a 6-month temporary permit (one 6-month extension) after a home is destroyed by natural disaster or fire. Sec. 801 says a blank cell in the use table means the use is prohibited in that district.
“Any vehicle or structure originally designed to transport something or intended for human occupancy for short periods of time.”
Art. XIX 'Travel Trailer'; Sec. 1109; Art. VIII Table of Uses, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Perquimans County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsRestricted
A tiny house built on a travel chassis must have its wheels removed and sit on a permanent foundation; on wheels it is a travel trailer, not a dwelling.
“If the tiny house is constructed on a travel chassis with wheels, the wheels must be removed for permanent location on a foundation.”
§911.32 B(3), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Perquimans County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationWith conditions
A 'tiny house' (400 sq ft or less, NC building code) is permitted only in RA-25 and RA-15, on a permanent foundation with tie-downs, and must connect to public water, sewer and electric. A home over 400 sq ft is an ordinary single-family dwelling, permitted in RA, HA and all RA-xx districts.
“A tiny house must be situated on a permanent foundation with secure wind-resistant tie-downs and connected to public water, sewer, and electric utilities.”
§911.32; Art. XIX 'Tiny House'; Art. VIII Table of 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 Perquimans County before you buy land or build.
ChickensAllowed
'Agriculture' is permitted (P) in every district, and its definition includes poultry husbandry; no acreage minimum found.
“The practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock”
Art. VIII Table of Uses; Art. XIX '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 Perquimans County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockAllowed
'Agriculture' (raising livestock) is permitted in every district; 'Horse Farms' are permitted in RA and need a special use permit in HA, RA-43 and RA-32.
“floriculture, aquaculture, truck farming, orchards, forestry, and animal and poultry husbandry.”
Art. VIII Table of Uses; Art. XIX '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 Perquimans County before you buy land or build.
BeesNot addressed
Searched the full ordinance for bees, apiary and beekeeping; not mentioned (Agriculture is permitted everywhere but bees are not named).
full text searched, read 2026-11-13
State law: real farms are exempt from county zoning (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-903(a), (a1)).
Confirm with Perquimans County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
Searched the full ordinance for composting, toilet and privy; nothing found.
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 Perquimans County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- Whether the official zoning map covers all unincorporated land was not confirmed (map not opened).
What breaks here
11 federal disaster declarations covered Perquimans County in the last 10 years: 5 hurricane, 2 biological, 2 tropical storm, 1 severe storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: hurricane (relatively moderate), winter weather (relatively moderate), strong wind (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) | 1 source |
|---|---|
| Repeaters | 1 source |
| County near a repeater | 27% 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 | 15.4 km source from the county centre |
Most of Perquimans 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 | 42 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 125 source |
| Cattle | 318 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 | 1 source facilities registered with EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, active or open status |
| FEMA overall risk | Very Low source |
| Sun, kWh per m² per day | 4.35 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 2 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Pasquotank | 4.9 |
| Chowan | 5.2 |
| Camden | 5.1 |
| Washington | 5.7 |
| Tyrrell | 6.0 |
| Gates | 5.4 |