Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10
11 of Illinois's 102 counties — 11% — set no minimum dwelling size. That is the 11th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Schuyler County (83/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 587 counties nationwide → Illinois: no building codes → Illinois: no zoning → Illinois: no codes, no zoning → Illinois: owner-builder → Illinois: rv living → Illinois: tiny homes → Full Illinois profile →
11 of 102 Illinois counties · sorted by Index score
Unincorporated Schuyler County: no county rule sets this, because Schuyler County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subd…
Schuyler County Highway 20-Year Plan 2021 ↗County zoning minimum-dwelling-size requirements in unincorporated Richland County. This is an absence of county zoning dimensional regulation only; building, health, septic, fl…
Status of Zoning in Unincorporated Portions of Richland County, Illinois ↗Unincorporated Gallatin County: no county rule sets this, because Gallatin County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subd…
Gallatin County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan ↗County zoning-based minimum dwelling-size requirements for dwellings in unincorporated Effingham County. Zoning may exist in incorporated areas and within one and one-half mile …
No Zoning Letter ↗County zoning-based minimum dwelling size in unincorporated Hancock County. No county zoning-based dimensional rule was identified; other state, municipal, building, septic, or …
Finance, Fees, and Salary Meeting Minutes, April 9, 2026 ↗Unincorporated White County: no county rule sets this, because White County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subdivisio…
County Clerk | White County, IL ↗Minimum dwelling size requirements based on county zoning in unincorporated Cumberland County. This conclusion concerns county zoning only; incorporated municipalities may impos…
Cumberland County Comprehensive Plan Draft ↗Unincorporated Edwards County: no county rule sets this, because Edwards County's own reviewed answer confirms it has no county-wide zoning ordinance. Septic, floodplain, subdiv…
Edwards County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan ↗County zoning minimum-dwelling-size requirements in unincorporated Macoupin County. This addresses county zoning only; building, health, septic, and municipal requirements may s…
Licenses, Permits & Zoning Information ↗County zoning minimum-dwelling-size requirements in unincorporated Coles County, outside the listed municipal zoning jurisdictions. No county zoning applies in the stated area, …
Coles County Zoning ↗County zoning minimum dwelling size in rural and unincorporated areas. No county zoning ordinance applies in the rural areas; other building, health, septic, subdivision, or sta…
montgomerycountyil.gov ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Illinois state page for all 102 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Illinois counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
