Illinois · Off-grid & homestead potential
Union County scores 63/100 on the Bolthole Index, a solid county profile. Its strengths are strong self-sufficiency basics: 48.7″/yr rainfall plus 56.1% wooded land and manageable long-term carry cost.
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Evidence strength: 95%. This reports direct-source completeness and fallback use; it is separate from the score and is not a confidence interval. How it works →
Scout Union County
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Property hunt
Search live inventory elsewhere, then cost and vet each candidate here. No copied listings, account, or paid data feed.
Each button opens a current land search for Union County. Listing sites control their own results and filters.
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Working estimate
A planning estimate, not a valuation or contractor quote. The USDA benchmark includes farm land and buildings; it is context, not a parcel comp.
Before an offer
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What it takes to build here — permits, zoning, and septic — scouted from Union County’s own official sources.
The county's official site hosts a stack of issued 'Union County Building Permit Application' forms for new single-family homes, mobile homes and outbuildings in unincorporated areas (Anna, Cobden, Dongola, Buncombe), with permit fees paid to the Union County Treasurer.
Union County IL - Building Permit Applications ↗Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.
Private sewage (septic) permits are issued by the local health department serving Union County (Southern Seven Health Department), enforcing the county Private Sewage Disposal Code under IDPH rules; homeowners may install a system for their own single-family residence.
Southern Seven Health Department - Private Sewage Disposal Program ↗Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.
Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.
Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.
Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.
Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.
Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.
Always confirm current rules with Union County IL (County Building Permits) before you buy or build. Scouted Jul 2026 from official county sources.
Union County scores 63/100 on the Bolthole Index, a solid county profile. Its strengths: strong self-sufficiency basics: 48.7″/yr rainfall plus 56.1% wooded land and manageable long-term carry cost.
Union County generally requires a residential building permit. Onsite septic is permitted by Southern Seven Health Department (Union County) under IDPH Private Sewage Disposal Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905. Rules change and cities within the county differ — always confirm with the county before you buy or build.
Land in Union County runs about $5,116 per acre, based on the latest county data.
Union County gets about 48.7" of rain a year, with severe drought in roughly 3.7% of years.
A representative private-land location has about 43,462 people within a 30-minute drive and 1,423,190 within two hours. The road-network catchments count population across county lines and clusters of smaller cities; straight-line radius values remain available as a comparison.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Union County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
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