Bolthole Index

Texas · Off-grid & homestead potential

Moore County

40Index Score / 100
#195 of 254 in Texas

Moore County scores 40/100 on the Bolthole Index, a marginal county profile. Its strengths are low administrative friction for a quiet rural property and manageable long-term carry cost. The trade-offs: thin water margin (18.2″/yr rainfall) and elevated mid-century heat, water, rain, or wildfire exposure.

Found land here? Start a Property Hunt →

County locator

Moore County in Texas

40
County map
Moore County highlighted among the Texas counties · colored by Index score

How Moore County scores

Seclusion57100% ev.
Self-Sufficiency1696% ev.
Admin Boringness8290% ev.
Durability29100% ev.
Property Autonomy71100% ev.
Carry Cost80100% ev.

Evidence strength: 97%. This reports direct-source completeness and fallback use; it is separate from the score and is not a confidence interval. How it works →

$192kTypical home
1.5%Property tax
$1,836Land / acre
18.2"Annual rain
38.1% of yrsSevere drought
27.5 / yr (+21.7)Mid-century 100°F days
30.4 daysMid-century dry spell
1.32" (+2.3%)Mid-century 1-day rain
1.28×Wildfire change factor
100%Forward climate coverage
$2,148Home insurance / yr
-0.8% / yrInsurance growth
0%Nonrenewal rate
county median (2+ published ZIPs)Insurance basis
22,262People within 30 min
437,920People within 2 hr
16,090Radius comparison (15 mi)
23.6People / sq mi
1.8%Federal land
97.3%Land at 15% slope or less
32.7%Septic soil without severe limits
179,935 acWorkable land screen
0.5%Wooded land
5.3 tonsBiomass / forest ac
57.9°FAvg temp

Scout Moore County

Camp here before you commitBook a few nights nearby on Hipcamp →Already own land here?Earn money hosting campers — get $100 when you become a Hipcamp host →

Some links are affiliate or referral links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.

Property hunt

Find land. Bring the promising ones back.

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 Moore County. Listing sites control their own results and filters.

Analyze a property
Add setup-cost allowances

Use rough quotes or placeholders. Blank fields count as $0.

Working estimate

land + entered setup costs
Asking $ / acre
Setup allowance
All-in $ / acre

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

Parcel due diligence

0/8 checked

Saved properties and checklist progress stay on this device. Bolthole Index does not receive them.

Building & land-use rules in Moore County

What it takes to build here — permits, zoning, and septic — scouted from Moore County’s own official sources.

  • Building permitNot required

    Moore County lists no building-permit or code-enforcement department, consistent with Texas law under which counties lack general authority to require building permits in unincorporated areas.

    Moore County, Texas (official county government site)
  • County zoningNone county-wide

    The county government lists no planning or zoning department; Texas counties generally cannot impose comprehensive zoning in unincorporated areas.

    Moore County, Texas (official county government site)
  • Septic permittingTexas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Region 1 - Amarillo

    Moore County has no local OSSF program/environmental-health office, so on-site sewage facility permitting falls to TCEQ, whose Region 1 (Amarillo) office covers Moore County.

    TCEQ - Which Region Is My County In?
  • Owner-builderNot published

    Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.

  • Building inspectionsNot published

    Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.

  • Occupancy certificateNot published

    Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.

  • Septic permitNot published

    Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.

  • Septic inspectionNot published

    Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.

  • Off-grid sanitationNot published

    Not published on an official source — confirm with the county.

Always confirm current rules with Moore County, Texas (Commissioners Court); TCEQ Region 1 for OSSF before you buy or build. Scouted Jul 2026 from official county sources.

Living off-grid in Moore County, Texas

Is Moore County a good place to live off-grid or homestead?

Moore County scores 40/100 on the Bolthole Index, a marginal county profile. Its strengths: low administrative friction for a quiet rural property and manageable long-term carry cost. Watch-outs: thin water margin (18.2″/yr rainfall) and elevated mid-century heat, water, rain, or wildfire exposure.

Do you need a building permit in Moore County, Texas?

Moore County does not require a county building permit for a home in unincorporated areas, and it has no county-wide zoning. Onsite septic is permitted by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Region 1 - Amarillo. Rules change and cities within the county differ — always confirm with the county before you buy or build.

How much does land cost in Moore County, Texas?

Land in Moore County runs about $1,836 per acre, based on the latest county data.

What is the water situation in Moore County?

Moore County gets about 18.2" of rain a year, with severe drought in roughly 38.1% of years.

How remote is Moore County?

A representative private-land location has about 22,262 people within a 30-minute drive and 437,920 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 Moore County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

WaterCrystal QuestFilter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.PowerBluettiSolar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.

How Moore compares in Texas

Compare side-by-side →See all 254 Texas counties ranked →