Home / North Carolina / Wilkes County
Wilkes County
Zone 7b, 201 frost-free days, farmland at $5,664 an acre. Top hazard: ice storm.
4.8 out of 10 overall, #71 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
- 6.1Land cost
- 5.3Rain
- 0.3Sun
- 2.4Growing
- 10.0Rules
- 4.4Clean
- 4.0Hazards
- 7.8Farm country
- 3.2Mesh
Land and living costs
| Farmland and buildings, per acre (2022) | $5,664 source |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $161,400 source |
| Median rent | $715/mo source |
| People | 65,983 source |
| Farms (2022) | 871 source |
Growing food
| Hardiness zone | 7b (7a–7b across the county) source |
|---|---|
| Last spring frost (typical) | Apr 10 source |
| First fall frost (typical) | Oct 29 source |
| Frost-free days | 201 source |
| Rain, April–September | 28.1 in source April–September |
| Rain, whole year | 51 in source |
| Prime farmland | 12% of soils source includes 'prime if drained/irrigated/protected' |
| July average high / January average low | 86.4°F / 27.3°F source |
Frost dates and season length come from the N Wilkesboro weather station: the 50% chance date for 32°F.
County rules: RVs, tiny homes, animals
Zoning: Zoning covers only part of the county. County zoning applies only in designated 'official zone areas': six zoning districts (Purlear, Rock Creek, West Elkin, Country Club, Moravian Falls and the W. Kerr Scott Reservoir area), roughly 31 square miles of a 757-square-mile county. Wilkes County 2023 Growth Management Plan (Zoning section); Wilkes County Zoning Ordinance Art. III § 30
These are rules for county land outside town limits. Towns have their own. Read on 2026-11-13.
Living in an RV on your landNo county zoning
Most of unincorporated Wilkes County has no zoning (about 31 of 757 sq mi are zoned, per the county's 2023 Growth Management Plan), so zoning does not restrict this on most rural land. Inside the zoned areas, the 1977 Zoning Ordinance defines a camper/RV as equipped for temporary living and lists only trailer camps (not RV homes on private lots) as a use.
“This ordinance shall apply to all lands within areas designated as "official zone areas" by the Board of County Commissioners of Wilkes County.”
Art. III § 30 Territorial Application; Art. II Definitions (Trailer, Camper), read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Wilkes County before you buy land or build.
Tiny house on wheelsNo county zoning
Most of unincorporated Wilkes County has no zoning (about 31 of 757 sq mi are zoned, per the county's 2023 Growth Management Plan), so zoning does not restrict this on most rural land. The ordinance has no tiny-house definition; inside zoned areas a tiny house on wheels would fall under the camper/RV definition.
Art. II Definitions, read 2026-11-13
Confirm with Wilkes County before you buy land or build.
Small house on a foundationNo county zoning
Most of unincorporated Wilkes County has no zoning (about 31 of 757 sq mi are zoned, per the county's 2023 Growth Management Plan), so zoning does not restrict this on most rural land. In the zoned R-20A districts, single-family dwellings are a permitted use; no minimum dwelling floor area was found in the ordinance.
§ 80.1 R-20A 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 Wilkes County before you buy land or build.
ChickensNo county zoning
Most of unincorporated Wilkes County has no zoning (about 31 of 757 sq mi are zoned, per the county's 2023 Growth Management Plan), so zoning does not restrict this on most rural land. In the zoned R-20A districts, any form of agriculture is a permitted use.
“Any form of agriculture or horticulture, including the sale of products at a retail stand on the property where produced.”
§ 80.1 R-20A 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 Wilkes County before you buy land or build.
Goats and livestockNo county zoning
Most of unincorporated Wilkes County has no zoning (about 31 of 757 sq mi are zoned, per the county's 2023 Growth Management Plan), so zoning does not restrict this on most rural land. In the zoned R-20A districts, any form of agriculture is a permitted use; the purely residential Country Club (R-20) and Moravian Falls (R-15) districts allow only residential development.
“Any form of agriculture or horticulture”
§ 80.1 R-20A 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 Wilkes County before you buy land or build.
BeesNo county zoning
Most of unincorporated Wilkes County has no zoning (about 31 of 757 sq mi are zoned, per the county's 2023 Growth Management Plan), so zoning does not restrict this on most rural land. The zoning ordinance does not mention bees.
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 Wilkes County before you buy land or build.
Composting toiletNo county zoning
Most of unincorporated Wilkes County has no zoning (about 31 of 757 sq mi are zoned, per the county's 2023 Growth Management Plan), so zoning does not restrict this on most rural land. The zoning ordinance does not mention composting or toilets.
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 Wilkes County before you buy land or build.
What we couldn't confirm
- Exact boundaries of the six zoned areas (the zoning map was not opened); a reader should check whether their parcel falls in one.
- The county zoning ordinance PDF is the 1977 text and may not include later amendments.
What breaks here
11 federal disaster declarations covered Wilkes County in the last 10 years: 4 hurricane, 3 tropical storm, 2 biological, 1 severe storm, 1 winter storm. source
FEMA's biggest risks for the county: ice storm (relatively high), inland flooding (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
- Dual-fuel generatorLonger outages; run it outside, well away from windowsSee price on Amazon
- Stackable water storage (7-gallon)One gallon per person per day for drinking and cookingSee 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) | 4 source |
|---|---|
| Repeaters | 3 source |
| County near a repeater | 32% 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 | 5 km source from the county centre |
Most of Wilkes 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 | 486,561 source |
|---|---|
| Goats | 959 source |
| Cattle | 34,494 source |
| Hogs | 170 source |
| Bee colonies | 1,015 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 | 22 source facilities registered with EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, active or open status |
| FEMA overall risk | Relatively Moderate source |
| Sun, kWh per m² per day | 4.23 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 |
|---|---|
| Alexander | 5.3 |
| Alleghany | 5.6 |
| Ashe | 4.1 |
| Caldwell | 5.0 |
| Iredell | 4.1 |
| Yadkin | 4.2 |