State rankings

Off-Grid Living Legal States

New Mexico has the highest Off-Grid Living Overall Score (75.37), followed by South Carolina (74.43) and Missouri (73). Rhode Island has the lowest (48.92).

EnvironmentLaw50 states · 25 metricsUpdated Apr 21, 2026Original page
20 sources
50 of 51 states
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Off-Grid Living Overall Score

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
68.82
Middle half 66.27 – 70.45
Average
67.59
50 states
Highest
75.37
New Mexico
Lowest
48.92
Rhode Island

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

50 states · # = rank by Off-Grid Living Overall Score
#
1New Mexico75.37
2South Carolina74.43
3Missouri73
4Mississippi72.74
5Washington72.61
6Alabama72.53
7Kentucky71.92
8Minnesota71.8
9New York71.77
10Oklahoma71.59
11Florida70.83
12Indiana70.74
13West Virginia70.47
14Maine70.37
15Virginia70.26
16Wyoming69.85
17North Dakota69.67
18Michigan69.6
19Montana69.55
20Georgia69.36
21Texas69.31
22Nebraska69.21
23Vermont69.2
24Utah68.91
25Arkansas68.85
26Maryland68.79
27Pennsylvania68.72
28Oregon68.42
29Arizona68.14
30Louisiana67.95
31North Carolina67.69
32New Hampshire67.59
33California66.51
34Kansas66.45
35South Dakota66.36
36Wisconsin66.29
37Tennessee66.27
37Delaware66.27
39Colorado66.25
40Nevada65.42
41Iowa65.29
42Idaho65.06
43Ohio63.44
44Connecticut61.58
45Hawaii61.28
46Illinois61.23
47Alaska60.01
48Massachusetts56.72
49New Jersey54.96
50Rhode Island48.92

What correlates with Off-Grid Living Overall Score?

Pearson r against 2,072 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Off-Grid Living Overall Score tend to score higher on these

  1. Rural Land AreaMost Rural States in the U.S.
    r = +0.66 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Mobile Homes per 100 Housing UnitsMost Redneck States in America
    r = +0.60 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Redneck Index ScoreMost Redneck States in America
    r = +0.59 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Deaths per 100k PopFatal Car Accidents by State
    r = +0.57 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. % of Households w/GunsBest States for Gun Owners
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. % of Households That Own GunsGun Ownership by State
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Off-Grid Living Overall Score tend to score lower on these

  1. Overall Price Per AcreAcre Value by State
    r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. Average Cost per AcreCheapest Land by State
    r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  3. Farmland Price Per AcreAcre Value by State
    r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 46
    Plot
  4. Humans per HorseHorse Population by State
    r = −0.74 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Median Price per AcreBest States To Homestead
    r = −0.74 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Population DensityMost Boring States
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Off-Grid Living Overall Score?
New Mexico has the highest Off-Grid Living Overall Score, at 75.37, followed by South Carolina (74.43) and Missouri (73).
Which state has the lowest Off-Grid Living Overall Score?
Rhode Island has the lowest Off-Grid Living Overall Score, at 48.92.
What is the median Off-Grid Living Overall Score across US states?
The median is 68.82 across the 50 US states with data.
Where does this off-grid living legal states data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: State Commercial Pet Breeder Laws - Animal Legal & Historical Center; Alabama lawmaker introduces bill to restrict puppy mills - Alabama; Research Memo - Wyoming Legislative Service Office; Utah Statutes - Animal Law Info.