Off-grid site report

Scott County, MS

32.3393, -89.4844 · 472 ft elevation
Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Scott County, MS, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.

The local rulesScott County, MS

Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Unclear - verifyI couldn't confirm a countywide zoning ordinance currently in force in unincorporated Scott County. The Board of Supervisors adopted a development ordinance package on November 21, 2025, but repealed it on December 1, 2025, so the county says none of that is in effect right now. Call the Scott County Board of Supervisors before you buy or build to get the current word. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Unclear - verifyA now-repealed 2025 county ordinance would have limited RVs and tiny homes on wheels to under 120 consecutive days a year on a property (with a hunting-season exception), but Scott County confirms that rule is not currently in effect. I have not found any replacement rule, so ask the Board of Supervisors directly what applies today. source
Building permits & codes
Unclear - verifyThe county briefly adopted the 2021 International Residential and Building Codes plus permit requirements in November 2025, then repealed the whole package on December 1, 2025. As of now, I can't confirm any standing building code for unincorporated Scott County, though incorporated towns like Forest, Morton, Lake, and Sebastopol set their own rules. Check with the Board of Supervisors for the current status before you build. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedI found no Scott County-specific septic ordinance, so this runs entirely on state rules. The Mississippi State Department of Health's On-Site Wastewater program regulates individual septic systems statewide and requires a construction permit before installation, handled through their regional environmentalist for the county. source
Greywater reuse
RestrictedThere's no separate greywater ordinance at the county or state level that I could find; Mississippi treats greywater under its general onsite wastewater regulations through MSDH, so any reuse setup would likely need to go through that same permitting process. source
Rainwater harvesting
Generally allowedNo Scott County ordinance restricting rainwater collection turned up in my research, and Mississippi has no statewide rule against it either, so basic residential cisterns appear to be fine without a permit. Still, double-check locally since this could change if the county revisits its ordinance efforts.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedI didn't find a Scott County well ordinance, so this falls under state oversight. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regulates well construction standards and groundwater statewide, and domestic wells drilled by a licensed contractor fall under that framework with no extra county layer confirmed.
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyI found no Scott County ordinance requiring homes to connect to grid utilities, and off-grid power generation is generally legal under the state baseline, but any grid-tie or interconnection questions would depend on your specific utility provider rather than county zoning. Nothing here is confirmed at the county level, so it's worth a call to the Board of Supervisors just to be safe.

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average
5.1 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
3.6 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
1,366 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND

Weather1991-2020

Precipitation
59 in/yr
Snowfall
0 in/yr
Heating degree days
2,536 (mild)
Frost-free season
Mar 29 to Nov 2

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital
Lackey Memorial Hospital
2.0 mi
Fire station
Pelahatchie VFD
18.4 mi
Hardware store
Home Hardware Building Centre
1.7 mi
Grocery
Walmart Supercenter
0.1 mi

From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.

Plan this spot

These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 39074).

Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt

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Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 22, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.