New Jersey is located on the east coast sandwiched between two massive cities, New York and Philadelphia. Currently, the population is around 8 million and it is the second state from which people move out, although the population is still increasing very slowly, for some reason. If you look at New Jersey’s geographical location and close proximity to states which have high taxes and high population density, it won’t take you long to figure out that this state is probably not that good for off grid living.
Living off the grid in New Jersey is legal, but you will not be able to live completely off the grid. New homes need to get a Certificate of Occupancy, which requires homes to have electricity, flushing toilets, and heating among others. On the other hand, New Jersey does allow living in a tiny house, no matter if it has a foundation or if it is on wheels.
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The scenery is beautiful in some areas, but the closer you get to the cities the state’s problems become obvious. There are around 5 cities that have a population of over 100k people, Newark 280k population, Jersey City 270k population, Paterson 150k population, Elizabeth 130k population, and Edison with around 100k population. If you have ever visited New Jersey then you have probably noticed that the infrastructure is in shambles, most notably the bridges look like they can collapse at any minute.
Although there are some good places to live off the grid in this state, but due to the high taxes, and cost of living I simply can not recommend it. The state is simply asking way too much from its people, and it offers only high pollution, crumbling infrastructure, and an extremely bad public transportation system, some might wonder where all that taxpayer money is actually going. If you visit the rural areas in New Jersey you will notice that it is fairly similar to the neighboring states and one might even be tempted to live off the grid in some areas.
As always before deciding to buy a property in any state for off grid living, you should visit the state for at least a couple of weeks. I know you have probably heard a lot of people complain about the pollution, but you will only experience it once you drive through some of the areas during the summertime, and I challenge you to keep your windows down if you can. If you want to know how to find good land for off grid living then check out my recent article What land is good for off grid living? ( Top 15 Qualities ).
Is Off Grid Living Legal In New Jersey?
Although off-grid living is technically legal in New Jersey, the state has strict regulations that may make it challenging to live a primitive lifestyle without certain utilities such as running water, a water heater, or electricity in your home. It’s important to be aware of these regulations and requirements before pursuing an off-grid lifestyle in the state.
New Jersey Off Grid Laws
Living off the grid in New Jersey is legal, although setting up an off grid solar power system will cost you more if it isn’t connected to the power grid. When it comes to harvesting rainwater, this is also legal in the state as there is plenty of rain all year round. If you have children you can also homeschool them, although the procedures and requirements will be different from one county to another so check the local homeschool laws before.
Generating Power Off The Grid In New Jersey
- Solar power: New Jersey gets plenty of sunshine, both during the winter and summertime, although generating power with solar panels is better in the southern part of the state as the winter days are longer. In addition to the countrywide federal tax credit of 30% the state of New Jersey also offers local incentives, of around 30%, the actual incentive depends on when you set up the solar power system, if you have set the system up a couple of years ago then the incentive will be significantly less of around 20%.
- Wind power: Due to its close proximity to the ocean, New Jersey is a great place to generate power with wind turbines. There are no local incentives or rebates for windpower but you can still apply for the federal tax credit.
New Jersey Climate
New Jersey has two different types of climate, in the southern part the climate is humid subtropical, and in the northern part, it has a humid continental climate. This basically means that in the entire state, the summers are fairly hot and the winters are cold and humid, although in the northern part of the state, the climate is fairly colder than in the southern part during the wintertime. During the summertime, the average temperature is around 82°F, and during the wintertime is around 34°F.
In the northern part of the state, it is not unusual to have 0°F temperatures or even lower, and during the wintertime, there will be a fairly big difference when it comes to the temperature during the wintertime. Generally speaking, the coldest parts of the state are in the northeast right next to the coast. If you want to take a look at one of the neighboring states then check out my recent article Off grid living in New York ( The Empire State ).
Best Crops To Grow In New Jersey
Most of the crops are actually fruits and vegetables, and this is actually a good thing when it comes to off grid living. Vegetables especially have a fairly short growing time when you compare them to other types of crops. Although the majority of the crops grown in New Jersey are either fruits and vegetables, but in some areas, you will find field crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat. Overall from an off grid living stand of a point when it comes to growing crops this state has plenty of options for a self-sustaining lifestyle. When it comes to growing crops, Rhode Island is fairly similar to NJ, for more information check out my recent article Off grid living in Rhode Island ( Size does matter! ).
Freshwater Availability In New Jersey
Due to its geographic location, New Jersey doesn’t have any problems with supplying the residents with water. There is plenty of above ground and below groundwater resources, although due to the state’s high pollution rate some of the groundwater is contaminated with hard metals and dangerous chemicals. You can also legally harvest rainwater, although if you live next to industrial zones then this isn’t a good idea, as all the chemicals which have settled on your roof will be washed into your water storage system, and most water filters can not filter out heavy metals or chemicals.
New Jersey Wildlife
The wildlife in New Jersey is fairly limited for hunting, the biggest animal in the area is the white-tailed deer, although there are plenty of smaller animals like rabbits, raccoons, and skunks. If you like fishing then you will have plenty of options in New Jersey both for freshwater and saltwater fishing. You can find anything from brown trout to arctic char, smallmouth bass, bluefish, bonito, and mackerel. You will need separate licenses for freshwater and saltwater fishing, and for hunting as well.
New Jersey Road Access
In some areas, the road access is ok, but in the vast majority of the state, the infrastructure is in bad shape, especially the bridges. During the past couple of years, the local administrators have addressed these issues and are working on them, so in the future, the roads might get fixed, although I wouldn’t hold my breath.
New Jersey Price Of Land
The price of land is fairly expensive in New Jersey, although this is normal on the northeastern coast of the country. Although the land is fairly expensive you will still be able to find cheaper land in the western and northwestern parts of the state. The good news is that not a lot of people actually move to New Jersey so sooner or later the prices will have to drop.
New Jersey Property Tax
The property tax in New Jersey is extremely high, currently, it is at 2.44% and the national average is 1.08%, as you can see it is more than double. The lowest property tax in the state is at Middlesex County which is at 2.35%, I would personally spend this money on anything else than just throwing it out, there are plenty of places that have lower taxes and are well suited to off grid living.
Cost Of Living In New Jersey
The cost of living is also fairly high in New Jersey, in general, you will pay around 20% more for everything in this state. Most notably housing is around 42% more expensive than in the rest of the country, followed by transportation which is around 27% more expensive. You will also pay around 5-9% more for groceries and utilities, in case you chose to have a semi off grid lifestyle.
New Jersey Jobs
The unemployment rate in New Jersey is around 3.2% which is a lot better than the national average of 4%. The largest industry in New Jersey is the pharmaceutical industry, followed by manufacturing, transport, and information technology. New Jersey also has a fairly big agricultural industry where finding a job is fairly easy.
New Jersey Crime Rate
The crime rate in New Jersey is lower than the national average, currently, it is at 2 crimes per 1000 people and the national average is 4 crimes per 1000 people. The areas with the lowest crime rates are in the western part of the state, although the closer you get to New York the higher the crime rate gets.
New Jersey Natural Disasters
New Jersey has a couple of natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and even floods. In general New Jersey is considered a fairly safe state for natural disasters as they don’t occur that often. The problem is that even a smaller storm can disrupt the traffic mostly due to the bad state of the local roads.
Key Takeaways
- Living off the grid in New Jersey is legal, but the high taxes and the high cost of living can make it difficult to live off the grid in this state.
- In New Jersey, tiny houses are legal, even the ones that are on wheels.
- One of the biggest problems of New Jersey is the high cost of property, as the prices are well above the national average.
