Homesteading in Davis County, Iowa

No zoning means fewer permitted-use questions -- not fewer rules altogether

Because Davis County has never adopted a county-level zoning ordinance, unincorporated land here isn't sorted into districts that dictate what you can and can't do with it -- there's no agricultural-district permitted-use list to check a market garden, a small dairy operation, a roadside stand, or a cluster of outbuildings against, and no conditional-use-permit process to go through for a use that would need one elsewhere. For someone planning a working homestead with a mix of uses on one property, that removes a real layer of friction present in most of the Iowa counties this site covers.

That said, 'no zoning' does not mean 'no rules.' Davis County's own Subdivision of Land ordinance (dated 2000) still governs how a larger tract may be divided if you're buying only part of a property or plan to split off a smaller parcel later, and any new septic system, well, or structure still has to go through the applicable state and county permitting process even without a zoning permit requirement layered on top. Confirm current subdivision-ordinance requirements with the Davis County Auditor and any building or floodplain requirements directly with the county before finalizing a purchase.

Land priced well below Iowa's average

Davis County's average farmland value ran about $7,735 per acre in 2025, compared with a statewide Iowa average of roughly $11,549 per acre the same year -- a meaningful discount that lines up with the reason the area's Amish settlement gives for having chosen Davis County in the first place back in 1971: lower farmland prices than other communities they scouted. That countywide average obscures real variation by soil quality and location, so it's a starting point for budgeting rather than a number to expect on any specific parcel, but it does mean a homesteading-scale purchase here starts from a meaningfully lower cost basis than in many other Iowa counties.

An existing local market for homestead-scale produce and livestock

Davis County already has working infrastructure for exactly the kind of small-scale agricultural production a homestead typically generates. The Southern Iowa Produce Auction, near Drakesville, runs a consignment sale twice weekly -- Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. -- from April through October, and has operated since it opened in 2003. It's open to any grower within roughly 100 miles of the facility, explicitly including a backyard gardener with surplus vegetables alongside larger commercial operations, which makes it a realistic outlet for a homestead-scale garden rather than only a wholesale operation. Bloomfield separately has an established weekly livestock market for cattle and other livestock, giving a homesteader raising animals a nearby, standing sale option rather than having to travel out of county.

1. Visit the Southern Iowa Produce Auction in person during its April-through-October season before buying, to see firsthand what kinds of produce move through it and at what volume -- this tells you more about realistic income potential than any secondhand description.
2. Confirm current well and septic permitting requirements and fees with ADLM Counties Environmental Public Health ((641) 724-3511) before budgeting for a homestead's water and wastewater systems, since this office serves four counties and its forms and fee schedule apply regardless of Davis County's zoning-free status.
3. If your plan involves splitting a larger tract to create a smaller homestead parcel, confirm the current requirements of the county's 2000 Subdivision of Land ordinance with the Davis County Auditor before assuming a simple deed transfer is sufficient.
4. Because Davis County has a large, established Amish community with deep local agricultural knowledge and its own network of craftsman businesses (sawmills, blacksmiths, greenhouse operators), local Amish-run suppliers and tradespeople are a realistic resource for homestead construction and equipment -- the Bloomfield Amish business directory is a reasonable starting point.