Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-09-21
6 of New Jersey's 21 counties — 29% — allow living in an RV on private land. That is the 7th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Cape May County (45/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 390 counties nationwide → New Jersey: no zoning → New Jersey: owner-builder → New Jersey: tiny homes → New Jersey: no minimum home size → Full New Jersey profile →
6 of 21 New Jersey counties · sorted by Index score
Unincorporated Cape May County: no county rule sets this, because New Jersey law gives counties no zoning power. The county legal census found no county zoning ordinance, citing…
P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments ↗Unincorporated Atlantic: no county rule sets this, because New Jersey law gives counties no zoning power. The county legal census found no county zoning ordinance, citing nj.gov…
P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments ↗Unincorporated Salem: no county rule sets this, because New Jersey law gives counties no zoning power. The county legal census found no county zoning ordinance, citing nj.gov. S…
P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments ↗Unincorporated Gloucester: no county rule sets this, because New Jersey law gives counties no zoning power. The county legal census found no county zoning ordinance, citing nj.g…
P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments ↗Unincorporated Camden: no county rule sets this, because New Jersey law gives counties no zoning power. The county legal census found no county zoning ordinance, citing camdenco…
P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments ↗Unincorporated Somerset: no county rule sets this, because New Jersey law gives counties no zoning power. The county legal census found no county zoning ordinance, citing nj.gov…
P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the New Jersey state page for all 21 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these New Jersey counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.