Best States for Tiny Homes

The Tiny Home Movement has gained immense popularity in America as people increasingly shift towards more sustainable and achievable living standards. As consumers become more conscious of their choices and climate change continues to become a global crisis, many Americans consider downsizing and living in tiny homes that are spaced less than 400 square feet.

The idea of ‘living with less’ goes beyond the physical space one’s house takes. It involves adopting a minimalistic lifestyle which would require much lesser resources and materials than living in a regular house. However, not all states in America are fully aligned with the ideology, with many not allowing tiny homes a fully established, permanent-house status.

This means that some states exercise regulations that are unfavorable to the establishment of tiny homes in general. These could include a minimum square footage requirement or size requirements for exit doors. Therefore, before you plan on moving to a small space living setup, it is essential to look at the best states for tiny homes that will encourage a feasible and hassle-free switch.

6 Best States for Tiny Homes

1. California

Being a progressive state, California often comes on the top of the tiny home-friendly states list. You can easily find a space to build or park your tiny house in this state. For Tiny House on Wheels (THOWs), California has some of the best tiny house communities, including Delta Bay Tiny House Resort.

The city of Fresno open-heartedly welcomes tiny house dwellers as the updated 2016 regulations classed THOWs as ‘backyard cottages,’ meaning they can be used as separate living spaces. The zoning and permitting opportunities for tiny houses are also reasonably relaxed in California with the new ADU laws of January 2020, encouraging Accessory Dwelling Units as an affordable housing option.

2. Texas

Texas is home to the first tiny home-friendly city called Spur. It currently has a population of 1000 and promotes tiny house living with its simple permitting process. You can take your THOW to settle there or build a new one on a city lot. Other than Spur, Texas has other tiny house-friendly cities, including Village Farm and Waters Edge – making it one of the most popular states for tiny home living.

If you are into community farming, then Village Farm is the place for you; if you want to live near a beautiful lake (Lake Conroe) with other tiny house dwellers, then you should consider moving to Waters Edge.

3. Oregon

Oregon is one of the best states for a tiny home in the U.S.A for several reasons. First of all, it has many tiny home-friendly communities that welcome tiny homeowners open-heartedly. These include Emerald Village, which claims to be the first permanently affordable tiny home cooperative. Hope Valley Resort in Turner is another such community where tiny houses can be bought and lived in.

This state is so tiny home friendly that its city of Portland was termed the ‘America’s Tiny Capital’ by a 2020 HomeAdvisor report. The building and zoning regulations in Oregon continue to become more and more tiny home-friendly, with the state removing minimum size requirements for a tiny house.

4. North Carolina

North Carolina is home to tiny house-building companies such as Wishbone Tiny Homes. It has a number of cities that are exceptionally tiny home-friendly, such as Asheville, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and Wilmington. While Asheville does not legally allow THOWS, you can easily build a tiny home anywhere in the city as long as it’s at least 120 square feet.

Similarly, Raleigh allows ADUs anywhere within the city limits since June 2020, making it one of the most progressive states for tiny house dwellers. In Wilmington, you are allowed to have a tiny house as small as 150 square feet. And the state of North Carolina also has tiny house communities such as Coral Sands Point and Acony Bell Tiny Home.

5. Colorado

Colorado is another one of the most popular states for tiny home living with relaxed zoning and housing regulations in many of its cities. These include Park County, El Paso County, Durango, and Walsenburg, allowing for tiny house establishment with some standard safety and structural requirements.

For example, Park County allows for tiny houses as small as 250 square feet. Walsenburg became the first tiny house-friendly city of Colorado by allowing dwellings between 120 and 600 square feet. Colorado is also famous for its tiny house festivals and communities.

6. Florida

Florida is one of the best states for tiny homes because its building codes include rules for houses that are 400 square feet or less – acceptance for tiny houses is key to progression for tiny house dwellers. Rockledge, St. Petersburg, and Orange County are three of the most tiny-house-friendly cities in Florida, with slightly varying requirements.

Tiny homes in Rockledge must be at least 170sqft. In contrast, those in Orange County can be at least 400 square feet. You can also find tiny home communities such as the Orlando Lakefront to make a living in a new place easier.

Our Final Thoughts

It is crucial to thoroughly research the regulations and requirements of any state for tiny homes before you choose one. This is important to ensure that you do not run into any legal trouble later on once you have settled in or are halfway through your transition to a tiny home. While no state in America expressly forbids building or living in a tiny house, zoning and housing regulations in many states can often make this type of establishment impossible. If you plan on switching to a tiny home, consider moving to one of the top 6 best states for tiny homes listed above.