Off-grid site report

Union County, MS

34.4944, -89.0318 · 374 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Union 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 rulesUnion County, MS

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Unclear - verifyNo official Union County zoning ordinance, map, or planning department page was found on the county's site or any code host. Many rural Mississippi counties have no countywide zoning at all, leaving control to towns like New Albany, but this isn't confirmed for Union County either way. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNo Union County ordinance on tiny homes, RVs, or manufactured/mobile home occupancy was found. Mississippi has no statewide tiny-home law, so this is a county/town decision that Union County hasn't published.

Building permits & codes

Unclear - verifyMississippi lets counties and cities opt in or out of building codes, and no record of Union County adopting (or not adopting) the IRC/IBC was found. State law does require licensed residential builders/remodelers for covered work regardless, per Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-17 as referenced by the City of Amory. source

Septic & composting toilets

Generally allowedThe Mississippi State Department of Health administers onsite wastewater permitting statewide, and Union County is explicitly listed among the counties covered by this program. Apply through MSDH; no county-specific variance was found. source

Greywater reuse

RestrictedMississippi has no separate greywater law; it's regulated under the same MSDH onsite wastewater program as septic, and no Union County-specific greywater rule exists. source

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo Union County ordinance restricts rain barrels or cisterns, and Mississippi has no statewide restriction on typical residential rainwater harvesting.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedNo Union County well ordinance was found. Mississippi domestic wells are generally exempt from state withdrawal permitting but must be drilled by a state-licensed well contractor.

Living disconnected from utilities

RestrictedNo Union County ordinance on grid disconnection was found. Off-grid power generation is legal in Mississippi, but full disconnection can run into state-level utility interconnection rules rather than a county ordinance.

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 5.2 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 3.6 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,441 kWh

JFMAMJJASOND

Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 59 in/yr
Snowfall: 3 in/yr
Heating degree days: 3,505 (moderate)
Frost-free season: Apr 11 to Oct 25

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County: 0.3 mi
Fire station Southeast Union County Fire Department Station 2: 4.3 mi
Hardware store Lowe's: 0.3 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 38652).

Size a solar system Heat loss & insulation Firewood per winter Rainwater harvest Garden size Panel tilt

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.