Looking to downsize? Some states are more ideal for a tiny house than others.
The verdict: Mississippi is the No. 3 best state for tiny house living in an urban setting and No. 23 overall.
How does Mississippi stack up in some key metrics (1st=Best)?
Average Yard Acreage-3rd
Tiny House Legality Score-3rd
Off-Gird Lifestyle Index-26th
To mark TinyFest California this March, LawnStarter ranked 2024’s Best States for Tiny House Living.
We compared the 50 states on the legality of constructing a tiny home. We also looked at the suitability of building in an urban setting based on average yard acreages and in a remote environment based on off-grid lifestyle-friendliness , a separate LawnStarter ranking that consists of 23 key factors.
Find out where to build the tiny house of your dreams in our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the states, see our methodology .
Contents
2024’s Best States for Tiny House Living
1
Vermont
89.07
1
2
15
2
Kentucky
85.34
1
14
3
3
Arkansas
84.60
1
5
16
4
Maine
83.80
1
4
20
5
Minnesota
78.32
1
21
4
6
Montana
76.39
1
18
10
7
Alabama
74.45
1
6
28
8
Georgia
73.40
1
12
23
9
Texas
72.91
1
39
2
10
Kansas
70.35
1
37
7
11
Missouri
69.97
1
27
11
12
Idaho
68.45
1
23
17
13
Nebraska
67.68
1
45
6
14
Illinois
67.29
1
41
9
15
South Carolina
67.23
1
13
31
16
Wyoming
67.18
1
36
12
17
North Carolina
65.83
1
8
38
18
Indiana
65.66
1
22
22
19
Ohio
63.26
1
25
24
20
Virginia
63.16
1
16
30
21
Oregon
59.99
1
42
19
22
New Hampshire
59.41
3
1
28
23
Mississippi
58.23
3
3
26
24
Connecticut
57.96
1
10
48
25
Washington
57.49
1
33
27
26
South Dakota
56.69
2
31
13
27
Oklahoma
55.62
3
20
5
28
Tennessee
55.30
3
11
18
29
New Mexico
55.30
1
29
32
30
Michigan
54.50
1
24
37
31
Massachusetts
51.31
1
19
46
32
Delaware
49.04
1
34
39
33
Pennsylvania
48.18
1
26
44
34
Florida
48.05
1
44
36
35
Colorado
47.57
1
46
35
36
Hawaii
47.56
1
48
33
37
Utah
45.67
1
40
42
38
California
44.88
1
49
34
39
Arizona
43.91
1
47
40
40
Rhode Island
43.52
1
30
49
41
Maryland
42.94
1
38
47
42
Nevada
36.74
1
50
45
43
West Virginia
43.31
4
9
21
44
Iowa
43.16
4
28
1
45
Wisconsin
40.60
4
17
14
46
North Dakota
37.16
4
32
8
47
Louisiana
35.49
4
15
25
48
Alaska
29.31
4
7
43
49
New York
14.31
4
35
41
50
New Jersey
5.27
4
43
50
Download data
Top 5 Close Up
Check out the slideshow below for highlights on each of our top 5 states.
No. 5: Minnesota | Overall Score: 78.32Tiny House Legality Score: 3 | Rank: 1
Average Yard Acreage: 0.39 | Rank: 21
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 4 | Rank: 4Photo Credit: Nicole Geri / Unsplash / Unsplash License
No. 1: Vermont | Overall Score: 89.07Tiny House Legality Score: 3 | Rank: 1
Average Yard Acreage: 0.66 | Rank: 2
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 15 | Rank: 15Photo Credit: Kevin Davison / Unsplash / Unsplash License
No. 2: Kentucky | Overall Score: 85.34Tiny House Legality Score: 3 | Rank: 1
Average Yard Acreage: 0.49 | Rank: 14
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 3 | Rank: 3Photo Credit: Miles Manwaring / Unsplash / Unsplash License
No. 3: Arkansas | Overall Score: 84.60Tiny House Legality Score: 3 | Rank: 1
Average Yard Acreage: 0.61 | Rank: 5
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 16 | Rank: 16Photo Credit: Mick Haupt / Unsplash / Unsplash License
No. 4: Maine | Overall Score: 83.80Tiny House Legality Score: 3 | Rank: 1
Average Yard Acreage: 0.64 | Rank: 4
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 20 | Rank: 20Photo Credit: Michael Denning / Unsplash / Unsplash License
No. 5: Minnesota | Overall Score: 78.32Tiny House Legality Score: 3 | Rank: 1
Average Yard Acreage: 0.39 | Rank: 21
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 4 | Rank: 4Photo Credit: Nicole Geri / Unsplash / Unsplash License
No. 1: Vermont | Overall Score: 89.07Tiny House Legality Score: 3 | Rank: 1
Average Yard Acreage: 0.66 | Rank: 2
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 15 | Rank: 15Photo Credit: Kevin Davison / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Key Insights
For best results, build your tiny house on the eastern half of America.
States like Vermont (No. 1), Arkansas (No. 3), and Minnesota (No. 5) offer the most ideal conditions for compact dwellings. Our top performers boast ample land for those looking to build in more crowded areas and great environments for self-reliant tiny-house dwellers preferring more remote settings.
Not every state allows tiny houses on its soil, though. Unfortunately, the 8 states that ban tiny homes — except Maryland (No. 41) and Nevada (No. 42) — occupy the 10 worst spots in our ranking.
If not for the red tape, some of these bottom states actually would make ideal candidates for tiny house living. Iowa (No. 44) leads all 50 states in off-grid lifestyle-friendliness , for example, while West Virginia (No. 43) outranks 41 states in yard acreage.
States where tiny houses are unregulated or require building permission crammed into the middle of our ranking, boosted by higher scores in the “Urban Lifestyle” and “Remote Lifestyle” categories. They include states like New Hampshire (No. 22), Mississippi (No. 23), and South Dakota (No. 26).
Ask The Experts
Tiny houses have ballooned in popularity over the years, but they aren’t for everyone.
To help prospective and new tiny house dwellers, we turned to a panel of experts for tips on navigating the tiny house landscape. Read their thoughts below.
What are 3 key considerations homeowners should make before committing to tiny house living?
What are the top 3 benefits and top 3 downsides of buying a pre-manufactured tiny house compared with designing and building one from scratch?
How can tiny homes impact local housing markets, if at all?
Are tiny house villages a good use of urban space in big cities? Why or why not?
Are tiny house villages a good solution for alleviating homelessness? Why or why not?