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Washington County
Zone 8a, 221 frost-free days, farmland at $4,152 an acre. Top hazard: hurricane.
5.7 out of 10 overall, #15 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
- 8.6Land cost
- 7.5Rain
- 4.8Sun
- 5.2Growing
- 9.0Rules
- 7.4Clean
- 7.2Hazards
- 0.9Farm country
- 0.3Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $4,152 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $107,000 source |
| Median rent | $829/mo source |
| People | 10,905 source |
| Farms (2022) | 110 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 8a (8a–8b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Mar 31 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Nov 7 source |
| Frost-free days | 221 source |
| Rain, April–September | 30.3 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 52.2 in source |
| Prime farmland | 30% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 88.8°F / 32.7°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the Plymouth 5 E weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: The county zones its unincorporated land. The Washington County Zoning Ordinance (updated July 1, 2021 for G.S. 160D) applies to the county outside town limits and ETJs, and any unmapped property defaults to R-A Rural Area. Washington County Zoning Ordinance (July 1, 2021), Art. 1 § F Jurisdiction; Art. 2 § O.7
These are rules for county land outside town limits. Towns have their own. Read on 2026-11-13.
Living in an RV on your landUnclear
The R-A permitted and special-use lists do not include living in an RV or travel trailer, and the ordinance says unlisted uses 'may be prohibited'. The county Mobile Home and Travel Trailer Ordinance regulates parks (more than two travel trailers) but sets no rule for one RV lived in on your own land. No temporary-during-construction provision found.
“Any use not specifically permitted in a specified district or districts as a by right use or a special permit use may be prohibited.”
Art. 2 § O.1; Art. 3-A R-A §§ B-C, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Washington County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsUnclear
Tiny houses are not defined in the zoning ordinance or the Mobile Home and Travel Trailer Ordinance. A wheeled unit for recreational use is a 'travel trailer', which is not a mobile home and is not a listed dwelling in R-A.
“A travel trailer is not to be considered a mobile home.”
Mobile Home & Travel Trailer Ordinance Art. I § 3 Definitions, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Washington County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationAllowed
Single family detached dwellings are permitted in R-A. Minimum lot 20,000 sq ft (15,000 with public water and septic by special use). No zoning minimum dwelling floor area found.
“c. Single family detached dwellings”
Art. 3-A R-A § B(c), § E, 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 Washington County before you buy land or build.
ChickensAllowed
R-A permits 'general farming, agriculture', and the ordinance defines agriculture to include poultry kept for personal use. 'Poultry houses' need a special use permit in R-A; animal houses as residential accessories are limited to ones 'designed for a single animal'. No acreage minimum stated.
“The production, keeping or maintenance, for sale, lease or personal use, of plants and animals useful to man”
Art. 3-A R-A § B(a), § C(i); 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 Washington County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockAllowed
Agriculture (permitted in R-A) is defined to include livestock such as cattle, sheep, swine, horses and goats. 'Hogging' and livestock sales facilities need a special use permit in R-A. No acreage minimum stated.
“livestock, including beef cattle, sheep, swine, horses, ponies, mules, goats”
Art. 3-A R-A § B(a), § C(f),(h); 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 Washington County before you buy land or build.
BeesAllowed
Agriculture, permitted by right in R-A, is defined to include bees and apiary products. No setbacks or hive limits stated.
“bees and apiary products”
Art. 3-A R-A § B(a); 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 Washington County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNot addressed
Searched the zoning ordinance and the Mobile Home & Travel Trailer Ordinance for toilet and privy; none addresses composting toilets. Mobile homes need a Health Department septic permit before occupancy.
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 Washington County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- The county ordinances page links this July 1, 2021 zoning ordinance; 2021 agenda packets show it was being reworked, and later amendments were not checked.
- How the county treats one RV or tiny house on wheels lived in on private land.
What breaks here
10 federal disaster declarations covered Washington County in the last 10 years: 5 hurricane, 2 biological, 2 tropical storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: hurricane (relatively high), winter weather (relatively moderate), heat wave (relatively low). 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 | 3% 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 | 26.9 km source from the county centre |
Most of Washington 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 | 230 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 50 source |
| Cattle | 584 source |
| Hogs | withheld by USDA to avoid disclosing individual farms source |
| Bee colonies | 90 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 | 4.41 source |
| Public EV charging stations | 1 source |
Rooftop solar credit depends on your utility. Duke Energy customers: see the state rules on the North Carolina page.
Nearby counties
| County | Overall |
|---|---|
| Chowan | 5.2 |
| Perquimans | 5.6 |
| Tyrrell | 6.0 |
| Beaufort | 5.3 |
| Bertie | 5.6 |
| Pasquotank | 4.9 |