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
Top 5 Close Up
Check out the slideshow below for highlights on each of our top 5 states.
Average Yard Acreage: 0.39 | Rank: 21
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 4 | Rank: 4Photo Credit: Nicole Geri / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Average Yard Acreage: 0.66 | Rank: 2
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 15 | Rank: 15Photo Credit: Kevin Davison / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Average Yard Acreage: 0.49 | Rank: 14
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 3 | Rank: 3Photo Credit: Miles Manwaring / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Average Yard Acreage: 0.61 | Rank: 5
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 16 | Rank: 16Photo Credit: Mick Haupt / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Average Yard Acreage: 0.64 | Rank: 4
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 20 | Rank: 20Photo Credit: Michael Denning / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Average Yard Acreage: 0.39 | Rank: 21
Off-Grid Lifestyle Index: 4 | Rank: 4Photo Credit: Nicole Geri / Unsplash / Unsplash License
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?
