When you are thinking of Mississippi you probably do not think that this is a good state for living off the grid, due to several reasons. High unemployment, corruption, and poverty might deter a lot of people from setting up their off grid homes in Mississippi. The truth is that everything you might think is negative might actually turn out to be positive. Poverty is fairly high, but this also means that the land is extremely cheap and your monthly expenses will be low as well.
In rural areas of Mississippi, it is generally permitted to live off the grid. However, in more developed regions, the presence of laws mandating connection to the municipal sewer system can make it illegal to adopt a completely off-grid lifestyle. Additionally, it is worth noting that the state’s laws have yet to be updated to accommodate newer off-grid technologies, which could pose difficulties in obtaining permits for certain systems.
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The state of Mississippi is not an ideal off grid state, I do have to acknowledge that but this doesn’t mean that you can not live off the grid. In fact, there are a lot of people living off the grid in Mississippi. Most of Mississippi’s population lives in the countryside and a lot of them have not even been hooked up to utilities, some might say that this is due to poverty which is true but this also means that people have been living off the grid in Mississippi for a very long time.
The state of Mississippi is also known as the Magnolia State, this comes from the beautiful Magnolia trees. If you are living in Mississippi or you want to move to the state and live off the grid you will find that no matter which state you might want to move to is that all of them have negatives and positives. If you are looking for the perfect state to live off the grid, then you will probably never find it. Take for example Alaska where I live, a lot of people think that this is the perfect state to live in, but the truth is that living off the grid is a lot of work, and an extremely lonely life, which a lot of people can not handle. If you are not a fan of Mississippi’s hot climate then you should take a look at Maine, for more information check out my recent article Off grid living Maine ( The Pine Tree State ).
Is Off Grid Living Legal In Mississippi?
Living off-grid is generally permitted in the rural areas of Mississippi. However, it is important to note that in more developed areas, laws mandating connection to the municipal sewer system may hinder the possibility of going completely off-grid. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Mississippi’s laws have yet to be updated to accommodate newer off-grid technologies. This can create challenges when obtaining permits for certain off-grid systems.
Mississippi Climate
When you are looking for an off grid state, first you should take a look at its climate. The climate in Mississippi is fairly hot and humid during the summertime the average temperature is 80 ° F, winters are fairly mild around 48 ° F. So what does this mean for somebody looking to move to Mississippi and live off the grid? The fairly long summer means that you will have no problem with raising crops, on the other hand, you might find the high humidity to be suffocating.
If you take a walk in some rural areas in Mississippi you will probably notice that a lot of people keep their doors and windows open, this is so that they have a breeze in the house, not a lot of people in rural areas have air conditioning. The high humidity means that your body will not be able to sweat properly and if you are not used to it that it will definitely be uncomfortable. On the other hand, the mild winters mean that you won’t have to worry about heating during wintertime so much. If you want to know how you can live off the grid in a boat then check out my recent article Living off the grid on a boat ( Top 15 Things to Know ).
Price Of Land In Mississippi
The price of land in Mississippi is fairly cheap when compared to other states, especially if you come from the northern USA. Not a lot of people actually buy land as even if most people think that the land is fairly cheap it will still be almost impossible for people born and raised in Mississippi to actually buy land. Some people who live off the grid in this area will just occupy a small piece of land in a remote area, although I wouldn’t suggest you do it but you will probably see a lot of these “hidden” off grid houses and trailers.
Mississippi Economics
Mississippi’s economic status isn’t the best, this is mostly due to the high unemployment, and due to a very limited number of decently paid jobs. Don’t get me wrong, there are people who are making a good living in Mississippi, but this is not the case for the majority of people living in this state. There are some industries in which it will be almost impossible to find employment like in the IT sector.
On the other hand, this means that you will have to pay a lot less for common things like food, water, and utilities if you decide to go semi off grid. You will also find that in Mississippi for pricier items you will be able to pay in monthly rates, and in some cases without paying anything extra than the price itself. If you are new to living off the grid then there are a couple of items that will make life a lot easier like a dishwasher for more information check out my recent article Best off grid dishwashers ( Top 8 ).
Mississippi Crime And Poverty
Due to poverty a lot of crime is present in the state, although the median crime rate is actually below the US national average. What in fact is fairly high is the property crime rate, although this will be different in each county. Basically, you will have to do some research based on which county you would like to move to, you will find more or less the same statistic in the entire country so don’t freak out.
Best Crops To Grow In Mississippi
Although Mississippi is mostly known for growing cotton, there are other crops that also grow fairly well, and they will make your off-grid living a lot easier. Crops like corn, rice, grain, and sweet potatoes are also grown in this state, so you will have no problems growing crops for yourself. People who live off the grid in Mississippi often grow both corn and sweet potatoes, as due to the lung summer the yields of these will be a lot higher than in some other states. If you want to know the best places to live off the grid in this state then check out my recent article Best Places To Live Off The Grid In Mississippi ( Top 8 Counties ).
Mississippi Freshwater Availability
You will need some way to hydrate yourself and your crops. Luckily as the area is fairly humid you will have no problem with finding fresh water. Generally speaking, you will have a lot easier time finding fresh water in the northern part of the state than in the south. This is because sometimes droughts might happen during the summertime which will make the Mississippi River shrink, and in some cases, ocean water could start flowing upstream and contaminate freshwater sources.
Mississippi Wildlife
Mississippi has a lot of wildlife, although for hunting you will need a permit, as for how much you can hunt and during what periods of time you have to check the official website as these will often differ from year to year https://www.mdwfp.com/license/hunting/. The same goes for fishing as well, and you will find that you will need a different permit for both saltwater and freshwater fishing https://www.mdwfp.com/license/fishing/.
The good news is that the permits are fairly cheap and easy to get, especially for hunting small game and freshwater fishing.
Solar Power In Mississippi
One of the best things about living off the grid in Mississippi is that you can use solar power all year round as the sun is almost always shining. As the years are going by you will see a lot more houses in Mississippi using solar power both for electricity and for heating water. In some counties, you might even find that a percentage of your cost will be paid by the government although this will be different from county to county.
Mississippi Property Taxes
Mississippi has one of the lowest property taxes in the country which is around 0.52% of the value of the property, http://www.tax-rates.org/mississippi/property-tax. If you search around the web you will find a lot of land for sale in Mississippi, and you might think that the prices are fairly high for Mississippi. You would be right as a lot of sites will target different states where the household income is higher than in Mississippi when they are selling property from this state. Your best option is to check local property listings as you will find land a lot cheaper, this also means that you should check local newspapers as well.
Mississippi Road Access
Most communities are linked with roads, although in the southern part of Mississippi, you will find that not all homes have access to a road. In some areas which are prone to flooding, you will probably have no other option than to travel by boat. There are even some areas that are considered marsh and you will definitely not see any roads in these areas. Basically, if you are looking for a house in Mississippi, make sure that it has road access.
Mississippi Natural Disasters
The main problem with the state of Mississippi is that it is prone to natural disasters, and by that, I do not mean the occasional flood or storm. Mississippi is in the tornado belt, which means that tornadoes are fairly common, and every year there are on average 40 tornadoes https://www.groundzeroshelters.com/mississippi-tornado-averages. This number will only go up as the climate continues to get warmer.
If this wasn’t enough, Mississippi is also prone to floods and hurricanes, let us not forget about the Mississippi river which floods once every 3 years, and the severity will be different every time. People who have been born and raised in Mississippi are fairly used to these natural disasters, and most of them have an emergency plan. Although if you are not from the area you will probably freak out even with a flood which is considered mild by the locals.
Key Takeaways
- Mississippi is a good state for living off the grid, not only it is cheap, but you will be able to grow crops and water isn’t an issue in this state.
- Mississippi doesn’t have the best education system, but you will have the option to homeschool your children.
- The main reason why a lot of people choose Mississippi as their off grid state is due to the low cost of living.
