Bolthole Index

Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10

New York Counties With No Zoning

31 of New York's 62 counties — 50% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 11th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Lewis County (74/100). 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 1042 counties nationwide → New York: owner-builder → New York: no minimum home size → Full New York profile →

From the New York guide

Which New York counties have no zoning?

Of the 62 New York counties we checked, 31 have no countywide zoning, and these counts describe unincorporated land.4 The highest-scoring are Lewis, Franklin, Steuben, Allegany, Washington, Cattaraugus, Clinton and Schoharie.4 See the New York no-zoning county list.

New York gives zoning power to cities, towns and villages, not counties.3 A municipality chooses whether to adopt zoning, every city has, and towns and villages may; the district map comes from the municipality itself.17 Another 30 counties are listed with county-level zoning, led by St. Lawrence and Warren, so confirm which body zones a given parcel.18 The zoning answer for Cayuga County is unconfirmed; ask the county planning office.19

Read the full New York guide →

Sources

  1. New York: documents.dps.ny.gov, quoted and re-checked
  2. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 62 New York counties, as of October 10, 2026: New York counties with no county-wide zoning
  3. New York: Adopting Zoning for the First Time, quoted and re-checked
  4. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 62 New York counties, as of October 10, 2026: New York counties with county zoning
  5. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 62 New York counties, as of October 10, 2026: New York counties whose building-permit or zoning answer we could not confirm

From the New York guide, written from the cited official sources and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: confirm with the office before you buy or build.

31 of 62 New York counties · sorted by Index score

Keep exploring

Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the New York state page for all 62 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.

Off-grid gear

Building on land in one of these New York 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.