With rising COVID cases, economic stagnation and political turmoil, wouldn’t it be nice to just unplug from it all — permanently? We’re not talking about meeting your maker, but about living off the grid.
Whether you’re interested in sustainability, privacy or energy-efficiency, moving off-grid can be fulfilling. But not every state is equally suited to a fully independent lifestyle. In fact, some states actively discourage off-grid housing with disconnection fees or extra taxes on solar panels.
LawnStarter looked into the data to help you find the best state for your own small, sustainable slice of heaven. They compared all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia across 20 key factors, from average per-acre cost of farmland to legality of rainwater harvesting to average monthly temperature.
Since Christian Activities is based in Nashville, we wanted to see how Tennessee ranked. The Volunteer state came in at lucky number 13 in the overall rankings.
Scroll down for the LawnStarter rankings, highlights/lowlights, expert answers, methodology, and a few thoughts on why this study matters.
| OVERALL RANK | State | Overall Score | Feasibility Rank | Infrastructure Rank | Climate Rank | Cost Rank | Safety Rank |
|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | 72.66 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 21 | 5 |
| 2 | Washington | 69.56 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 20 | 16 |
| 3 | Missouri | 68.50 | 9 | 36 | 20 | 19 | 11 |
| 4 | South Carolina | 67.36 | 12 | 30 | 4 | 11 | 48 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 66.88 | 2 | 8 | 50 | 13 | 9 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 66.82 | 6 | 11 | 45 | 28 | 2 |
| 7 | Louisiana | 66.80 | 23 | 32 | 3 | 8 | 34 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 66.21 | 8 | 40 | 22 | 3 | 23 |
| 9 | Michigan | 66.07 | 11 | 10 | 40 | 29 | 10 |
| 10 | Iowa | 65.85 | 17 | 12 | 33 | 37 | 1 |
| 11 | Nebraska | 65.51 | 4 | 31 | 41 | 30 | 3 |
| 12 | Florida | 65.23 | 24 | 27 | 2 | 33 | 44 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 64.88 | 33 | 6 | 11 |
