Off-the-Grid Cabins for Sale Across America

It’s been a shaky few years for most Americans, so it’s not surprising that some of us are looking toward catastrophe and making plans just in case. Real estate sites such as Survival Realty specialize in homes that will keep going even if the electric and water supply do not. Some are luxury estates, some are Spartan bunkers, but all of these homes sell isolation and security to buyers.

Prices and availability are subject to change.

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Owen, Wisconsin

$545,000

The real estate listing titles this a “bug-out property,” making clear this home’s purpose: a safe place to go up north when things go south. The 1900 farmhouse, for all its charm, isn’t the main draw — that’s the hillside concrete bunker, just a few feet from a private, spring-fed lake with bass for fishing. That bunker is poured concrete, with a 2-foot layered ceiling and steel window frames. Owen is a former railroad town in central Wisconsin, about two and a half hours from Minneapolis and six hours from Chicago. The town has farmers markets, the Owen Jr. Fair, and an annual car show, but it’s also possible on this property to be completely secluded from other humans.

Related: Breathtaking Historic Farmhouses for Sale Across America

Northwest Montana

$599,000

Nosy neighbors won’t bother you at this two-bedroom, one-bath cabin: it’s on 20 acres and surrounded by national forest on three sides. The 1300-square-foot home comes with a pool table and a gun safe and provides its own power and water, with all appliances fueled by propane. Also in the deal: a snowplow to keep the road open (or not, depending on your desires). This home is about 20 minutes from Superior, a town of less than 1,000 that serves as a tourism hub for fishing and seeing the Bitterroot Mountains. Superior is also notable as home of the first hotel to get Gideon Bibles, as memorialized by a historic marker.

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Captain Cook, Hawaii

$1.2 million

You can own a piece of the Big Island, and do it supported by solar energy, rainwater catchment basins, and a triple filtration system. The four-bedroom, steel-framed home sits on a 30-inch block foundation that should increase your feeling of security, and is surrounded by 16 tropical acres. You can sip chocolate made from your own cacao grove while gazing into wide-open Pacific views from the hilltop location. Captain Cook, part of South Kona, is named after the Captain Cook Coffee Co., which owned the land in the early 1900s. It’s part of the South Kona district on the island of Hawaii, and overlooks Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park. The boulder-strewn beach  is where westerners first encountered Native Hawaiians in 1779, when Cook landed here. Take note: Captain Cook sits on an active volcano and is in Lava Zone Hazard Zone 2.

Related: Historic Homes for Sale That Are Older Than America

Lorraine, New York

$777,000

Tucked into the Adirondack Mountains, this home claims to have the resources to supply all needs to a family of four for three years. The contemporary log cabin comes with fully self-sufficient electrical and water supply, a 55-foot communication and weather tower, safe room, and reinforced doors. Lorraine, with a population of 55, is about 30 minutes south of Watertown, which has an airport and is a big draw for Canadian shoppers on day trips. Prepare for cold winters, though — there are up to 20 nights yearly at around zero degrees.

Douglas, Arizona

$148,000

This bargain 600-square-foot cabin is in the wide-open desert of eastern Arizona. A sweet and clean open plan offers views of the nearby mountains and comes with a second 200-square-foot building now used as a yoga studio. Completely off-grid, its setups for solar power and water storage are less than two years old. Flush against the Mexican border, Douglas has some of the artsy, quirky flavor of nearby Bisbee and has an indoor aquatic center, parks, an art gallery, and a library.

Ashtabula Lake, North Dakota

$575,000

A sweet 1904 house is the base for a farm able to meet your food needs as well as your water supply. Its owners must be a “Lord of the Rings” fans, since they named the spot Helmsdeep Farms after a fortress in the books. The 12 acres has plenty of arable land and established crops, including asparagus, herbs, raspberries, strawberries, and fruit orchards. There are six outbuildings, including two Quonset huts and a two-story barn. Ashtabula Lake is a popular recreation center, drawing visitors for its fishing, snowmobiling, and three swimming areas. Nearby Valley City is the state’s 12th largest, with 6,500 people and Valley City State University.

Related: Hobbit Holes, Missile Silos, and Other Cool Underground Homes You Can Rent

Salida, Colorado

$2.4 million

There are power lines available just 500 feet from this 4,600-square-foot house, but the property is self-sufficient, using wind and solar to provide 90% of the home’s electrical needs (and with a generator just in case). Water comes from a drilled well with a large storage cistern. The home itself is built Southwestern-style, with stucco exterior and Saltillo tile floors. Salida is a favorite destination for its access to the nearby Collegiate Peaks, a collection of 14,000-foot mountains, as well as rafting and fishing at the headwaters of the Arkansas River. A sweet downtown features galleries and coffee shops alongside most modern needs. With a population of 5,666, it’s the largest town in the county, and about two hours from the Colorado Springs airport.

Julian, California

$999,000

Nearly a mile above sea level sits this almost 5,000-square-foot home on 5 acres, with five bedrooms and 3.5 baths. You won’t be roughing it in this completely off-the-grid home: It has a mahogany entrance to its library, a wine cellar, and marble showers. Yet the property runs entirely on solar power and draws its water from a well. Part of San Diego County, Julian is a California Historic Landmark owing its founding to gold mining. All buildings on Main Street have facades that predate 1913. The town has a long history of African-American settlement, beginning with A.E. Coleman, who first discovered gold there. Grab a piece of pie at the 73-year-old annual Julian Apple Days festival.

Nevada City, California

$889,000

When your off-grid home includes a wine cellar, you’re surviving in style. While an enormous wood-burning stove is the focal point of the living room in a proportionately enormous home — it has five bedrooms — there’s also a solar setup, and even a charging station for an electric car. Nevada City is halfway between Reno, Nevada, and Sacramento and known for its farmers markets, music, and art, though its Gold Rush origins have evolved into a base for tourists playing in South Yuba River State Park. Much of the city’s 19th century downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Datil, New Mexico

$325,000

Two cabins and an underground bomb shelter: it’s a 21st-century dream home. A wrap-around porch brings nature in; an escape hatch and steel-hardened doors keep intruders out. There’s a guest cabin with a sleeping loft. Most surprisingly, this 3-acre survivalist retreat comes with a $148 annual HOA fee. You’ll bring the population up to 55 when you move to Datil. Rock climbers enjoy the area for the Enchanted Tower. It’s a short distance from the Very Large Array, one of the world’s largest astronomical radio observatories. Cibola National Forest is also nearby.

Seligman, Arizona

$499,500

This hunk of gray steel cries out “serious survival.” The four-bedroom container home sits on 40 acres of high desert and is completely off-grid. It bills itself as a secure home, and can be sealed off completely when needed. Seligman, the homeland of the Havasupai and a major train junction until 1984, has a population of about 700, up from the previous census; remnants of its glory days can be seen in a quaint historic district downtown. It’s also the first stop heading west on the longest uninterrupted stretch of historic Route 66. 

Related: Route 66 Then and Now

Cayo Costa, Florida

$3.5 million

It’s not easy to get nearly 2 acres of oceanfront property in Florida, but with this off-grid purchase, you’ll have a private dock and 3,000-square-foot home as well. The wood-framed main building has plenty of opportunities for fresh-air living: Prepare meals in the well-equipped outdoor kitchen and serve them in the gazebo, crossing the property on meandering boardwalks. Most of the island is state parkland, with 9 miles of untouched, white sand beaches. You’ll definitely want to use that private dock, as the island is accessible only by boat, which will also let you motor off to nearby Captiva Island for dinner. Sounds like paradise, but Cayo Costa is a barrier island just off of Fort Myers where hurricanes and sea levels are a real concern.

Related: Private Islands You Might Actually Be Able to Afford

Addy, Washington

$780,000

Come the apocalypse, you won’t have time for a fixer-upper. This 3,240-square-foot home is in turnkey condition, with new flooring and a year-old pellet stove. There is well water and septic tank, a kitchen coop, and 10 fruit trees on 27 acres at the end of a country road. Nearby Addy, population 40, hugs the Canadian border in eastern Washington on the Colville River. For big-city needs, Spokane is an hour away.

Concho, Arizona

$395,000

Northeastern Arizona is a big draw for those who like their solitude. This double-wide manufactured home is surrounded by 72 acres. It comes with a private well, a valuable asset in an area where many homes have their water delivered, and is powered by solar and wind. An 800-square-foot shop comes with it and is heated by a wood stove. Also included is a garage, three sheds, a travel trailer, and an outhouse. Concho is an unincorporated community about 14 miles from St. Johns founded by Spanish Basques in the 1860s, then settled by a group of Latter-Day Saints who joined the long-standing Spanish and Hispanic community. The community annually celebrates the San Raphael Fiestas, and Memorial Day gets a town picnic and parade.

Flagstaff, Arizona

$777,000

This 2003 Victorian-style home is nestled in Coconino National Forest at 8,250 feet in the relatively cool part of Arizona, surrounded by aspens and pine trees. With four bedrooms and three baths, the home is solar-powered and on a septic system — yet it’s already been discounted by more than $400,000. Flagstaff is one of the bigger cities on our list, with a metro population of almost 140,000. It’s one of the only places in Arizona with four seasons and snow in winter. The city is home to Northern Arizona University and a major tourist destination, both for the Grand Canyon and Route 66.

Related: Beautiful Victorian Homes for Sale Across America

Pearce, Arizona

$150,000

Basic little house; whole lot of land. This 1986 home has two bedrooms, one bath, complete solar and a well. The interior could use a little updating but has potential – and with on 19 acres in what is described as an “extremely rural” area, there’s plenty of opportunity to add on. At 4,400 feet, Pearce is cooler than much of the state. It’s in the southeastern corner of Arizona near Chiricahua National Monument and a winter sandhill crane refuge. It’s also a gold mining ghost town, with a general store and a church left from the era.

Hope, Maine

$398,000

This 2,700-square-foot house sits atop 7 acres, including a blueberry field, is powered by solar and wind energy, and includes a well and septic system. The home has decks facing two directions, plentiful natural light from the many windows, and yellow pine flooring. Named one of 2020’s Best Places to Live by Maine’s Down East magazine, Hope lies 7 miles inland from Penobscot Bay. It’s quite rural, and much of your shopping could be done at the 188-year-old Hope General Store. Be prepared for a great deal of snow for nearly half the year.

Cerrillos, New Mexico

$749,000

Built of rammed earth and straw bale construction, this 4,000-square-foot earthship is well-insulated from the elements and sits on 23 acres of high desert. It comes with a 900-square-foot guesthouse and is fully fenced and gated, bordering Bureau of Land Management territory. Cerrillos sits on the scenic Turquoise Trail, halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It’s a legit restored ghost town that has starred in many Westerns, including “Young Guns” and “Shootout.” There are only about 260 residents, but amenities including a petting zoo and a gastropub, the Black Bird Saloon.

Sponsored: Retire in comfort without compromise

Are you one of 64% of Americans who thinks their retirement savings may not be enough? SmartAsset's free tool can match you with up to three fiduciary financial advisors in your area in five minutes to help answer that question.

See why 75 million people trust SmartAsset's tools and services each year to ensure they have enough money to retire comfortably.

Cave Creek, Arizona

$5.8 million

Worried about invading hordes? You’ll have a fortresslike view from your perch atop this 62-acre parcel, and a helipad should you need to make a hasty retreat. Meanwhile, you’ll have a two-bedroom home and a studio, an unfenced patio, hot tub, and grill. Large water storage tanks and photovoltaic cells keep the home off-grid on the historic Ransack Mine parcel tucked into the 3-million-acre Tonto National Forest. As remote as the home feels and is, it’s on the Phoenix side of the forest, just a few miles from the sprawling metropolis and modern amenities.

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