Massachusetts · Off-grid & homestead potential
Dukes County scores 71/100 on the Bolthole Index, a strong county profile. Its strengths are a durable current and mid-century hazard profile and sparse surroundings — about 12,242 people within a 30-minute drive.
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Evidence strength: 100%. This reports direct-source completeness and fallback use; it is separate from the score and is not a confidence interval. How it works →
Scout Dukes County
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Property hunt
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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 Dukes County’s own official sources.
Under the statewide Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), a building permit is required for all construction (e.g., Edgartown requires one except as exempted by 780 CMR 105.2), enforced by each town's municipal building inspector, not the county.
Town of Edgartown (Dukes County) - Building Inspector ↗Zoning is administered by the towns, and Martha's Vineyard additionally has the Martha's Vineyard Commission, the regional land-use authority reviewing Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) and Districts of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC) for the towns of Dukes County.
Martha's Vineyard Commission - What We Do ↗Septic systems are governed by the statewide Title 5 / State Environmental Code (310 CMR 15.000) promulgated by MassDEP; the local town Board of Health reviews designs and issues septic permits.
Mass.gov - Septic Systems & Title 5 (MassDEP) ↗A homeowner of an owner-occupied one- or two-family dwelling may obtain a building permit without a construction supervisor's license under the 780 CMR homeowner license exemption (filing a Homeowner Exemption Affidavit).
Mass.gov - When is a Construction Supervisor License Required (homeowner exemption) ↗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 Town Building Inspectors (Dukes County towns) & Martha's Vineyard Commission before you buy or build. Scouted Jul 2026 from official county sources.
Dukes County scores 71/100 on the Bolthole Index, a strong county profile. Its strengths: a durable current and mid-century hazard profile and sparse surroundings — about 12,242 people within a 30-minute drive.
Dukes County generally requires a residential building permit, and it enforces county zoning. Onsite septic is permitted by MassDEP Title 5 (310 CMR 15.000), enforced by the local Board of Health. Owner-builders may act as their own contractor to build their home. Rules change and cities within the county differ — always confirm with the county before you buy or build.
Land in Dukes County runs about $8,824 per acre, based on the latest county data.
Dukes County gets about 47.1" of rain a year, with severe drought in roughly 4% of years.
A representative private-land location has about 12,242 people within a 30-minute drive and 207,633 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 Dukes County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
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