One of the best states to move to if you want to get a tiny house is North Carolina. There are jurisdictions throughout North Carolina that have loose restrictions for tiny homes, making it easy to find a place where you can live year-round in a tiny house.
When you move into a tiny home, you either will need your own plot of land, or you will need to rent a lot in a tiny house community. Let’s take a look at some of the top tiny home communities in NC.
1. Acony Bell: In between Asheville & Brevard, North Carolina
21 Acony Bell Wy, Mills River, NC 28759
https://aconybell.com/
If you are dreaming of a simple, laidback life surrounded by the beauty of nature, then you cannot go wrong with Acony Bell. The park features spacious green lots with plenty of room for outdoor activities, and is surrounded by forest and mountains. In fact, you don’t have to go far to access Blue Ridge Mountains hiking trails. But if you need something in town, you can drive a few miles and find yourself in Brevard.
- Rent lots at Acony Bell for one year at a time.
- Amenities available at Acony Bell include a chicken coop, a community garden, a community center, a stream, hiking trails, biking trails, and more.
- At the time of this writing, the lots are an extremely reasonable $550 a month. That is flat-out amazing when you are considering the breathtaking surroundings at Acony Bell (keep in mind you will need to add in your home payments if you are still paying off your tiny house).
Best For:
If you are an outdoorsy person who loves the Blue Ridge Mountains, living at Acony Bell will feel like moving to paradise. Every day, you will wake up and look out your window, knowing that the forested paths are beckoning you just outside.
Be aware that Acony Bell does not sell tiny houses. You will need to bring your own tiny home to this park.
Vacation rentals are available, so that is a great way for you to “try on” Acony Bell to see if you would like to live there full-time.
2. Nomad Nation – Raleigh Tiny House Community: Raleigh, NC
1105 LEGEND Raleigh, NC, Usa
https://nomadnation.co
Next up, we have a tiny house community that is under development in Raleigh by Nomad Development, Inc., a tiny house company that is based in the same city.
As reported here, “Each of the community’s 40, ~500-sqft tiny houses will be open-concept and futuristic — think lots of glass, 12-foot ceilings, and sliding king-sized beds. The homes will surround a luxurious 3,000 sqft community mansion designed as a co-living space. It will be open to all tiny-home dwellers and include a loft, large kitchen, and coworking areas.”
The post continues, “The village will be built on a 2.35 acre lot (purchased by Nomad for $750,000) located at 3708 Rock Quarry Rd. The spot is ~10 minutes from downtown and is within walking distance to Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek. The community will offer shared cars and bikes to help guests get around Raleigh.”
Eventually, the company plans to build additional communities just like this one throughout the US.
Best For:
Nomad’s tiny house community in Raleigh will be ideal for those who favor flexibility. Both short- and long-term stays will be available, and people who join the Nomad Nation network (a paid membership) will be the first to get consideration for reservations here and in the other tiny home communities that the company is developing.
3. The Hamlet, The Meadows, and the Village: Flat Rock, NC
https://simple-life.com/north-carolina/the-hamlet
At Flat Rock, you will find a trio of tiny house communities by Simple Life called The Hamlet, The Meadows, and The Village. Simple Life explains, “Simple Life creates and operates cottage home communities throughout the Southeastern US with private amenities for people who value living life over maintaining things. We provide lifestyle community amenities and a collection of 1 and 2-bedroom cottages for sale that can be customized to meet individual needs, and we maintain and operate our communities to the highest standards.”
Be aware that this is not a situation where you bring your own home; you buy one of the houses in either of the communities, and pay a monthly fee to lease the lot and enjoy the amenities.
- Enjoy a convenient location adjacent to a nature sanctuary and a short drive from Asheville and Hendersonville. You will be right in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Amenities include a swimming pool, a yoga studio, a fitness facility, a reflection garden, a bocce ball court, a library, a pond, a clubhouse, a dog park and a community garden. You will discover that some of these amenities are not all that common at other tiny house communities! And this is not even a full list of all of the amenities the parks offer.
Best For:
If amenities are your top priority when choosing a North Carolina tiny house community, you are going to have a hard time beating the Simple Life communities of The Village, The Meadows, and The Hamlet.
4. River and Twine: Rocky Mount, NC
24 East Elm St, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
https://www.riverandtwine.com
Are you looking for a small tiny house community with a stunning location? You may be interested in River and Twine. There are just 21 tiny houses in this community, and you will be situated right next to the Tar River.
This tiny house park seems largely geared toward vacationers, but it does mention that “extended stays” are available. We are guessing that probably doesn’t translate to being able to live here for many years, but if you just want to live in a tiny house for a few months, perhaps, they can accommodate you.
- The location is close to restaurants, breweries and more.
- Every one of the tiny houses at the park has a different design, making for a unique stay.
Best For:
You will have to call and ask the park what “extended stays” amounts to in order to figure out if you would like to spend time at River and Twine.
5. Cranmore Meadows: Haw River, NC
https://foggy-piccolo-f2d.notion.site/Cranmore-Meadows-5cb33b45af7240459232738dadc98aca
This small tiny house community offers residents in its 13 lots a 30-acre nature preserve featuring forest, meadows and hills. Hawk Creek runs through this idyllic setting, and there is a beautiful pond.
The owners write, “Cranmore Meadows is a community that puts people and planet first and serves as an example of what a more sustainable and interconnected future could look like. We accomplish this by providing accommodations for low-impact mobile housing, alternative green building and other sustainability workshops, community gatherings focused on connecting with the land and each other, and farming practices that enhance ecosystem processes on our land. Every decision we make is guided by putting the health of our land and its inhabitants above all else.”
The website for Cranmore Meadows mentions adding 6 new lots in spring 2023. As far as we can tell, these are part of the 13 spots mentioned, as “phase 1” featured 7 spots.
- The spots are spacious, offering room for outdoor activities and some degree of privacy from one’s neighbors.
- Cranmore Meadows is flexible about how people set up their outdoor spaces, and even says on the website that they may allow outdoor sheds for extra storage (a lot of parks have strict policies against this sort of thing).
Best For:
Think about moving to Cranmore Meadows if you like the location and enjoy spending time in nature.
You must have your own tiny house on wheels to bring to this park; the park does not sell or rent out tiny houses of its own at this point of time (though rentals may be available at some point down the road).
6. Tiny Homes at Mountain Creek Village: Andrews, NC
https://tinyhomesatmountaincreekvillage.com
There is not a whole lot of information about this small North Carolina tiny homes community located in Andrews, NC. The website literally just says, “Lazy Bear Trail runs through Mountain Creek Village and is home to three brand new home choices; the Papa Bear, the Mama Bear and Baby Bear.”
The lots are large, offering expansive green spaces and views of the surrounding Smoky Mountains. You can either buy one of the home models mentioned above, or you can bring your own home. Another option is to have a home constructed for you. Mountain Creek Village works with some preferred builders, and can point you in the right direction if you have no idea who to hire.
The website does mention that you can purchase lots, which is significant. Assuming they mean that literally, that is an alternative to renting a lot, which is what most other tiny house parks allow you to do.
We did not find any information about the amenities available at the park. But the photos and videos on the site reveal it to be a peaceful and gorgeous setting for tiny living.
Best For:
We are guessing that amenities are limited at this location, or else the website would have more to say about them. So, Mountain Creek Village is best for people who are not too concerned about amenities and who have fallen in love with the location itself. You also may want to check into it if you want to buy rather than rent a lot.
What Are The Main Reasons People Choose Tiny House Living in North Carolina?
Here are some reasons to live in a tiny house community in the state of North Carolina:
- Flexible regulations: North Carolina does not forbid people from living in tiny houses, and the various jurisdictions are pretty reasonable about accommodating them. So, you should be able to move into a tiny home here without running afoul of draconian regulations.
- Blue Ridge Mountains: For people who enjoy hiking, fishing, camping, and other outdoor activities, the Blue Ridge Mountains offer countless opportunities for seclusion and adventure. Many of the tiny home communities in North Carolina are in the Blue Ridge Mountains, letting you take full advantage of all that these wilderness areas have to offer. Since the mountains are heavily forested, many communities also offer ample shade for tiny house lots, which can help you stay comfortable during the hot summer months.
- A growing collection of tiny house communities: More tiny house communities are appearing in North Carolina all the time as tiny living enthusiasts move to this state.
- People who share your passion for tiny homes: When you move into a North Carolina tiny home community, you will have neighbors who also live in tiny houses. Not only that, but they may share some of your other interests as well: the great outdoors, sustainability, and so on.
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Tiny Home Community in NC
We recommend asking yourself some questions before you choose a tiny house community to ensure that you are picking the right place for your needs:
- Do you want to buy a tiny house at a park, or do you want to bring your own tiny home? Alternately, are you looking for a place where you can rent a home?
- What type of tiny house do you have, and where are you allowed to put it?
- What is your budget for your tiny home? How much can you budget for your lot rent?
- What are your main priorities when selecting a tiny house community? Cost? Location? Amenities? Sense of community?
Move Into Your North Carolina Tiny House
North Carolina tiny homes continue to grow in popularity, and many people are flocking to this state from around the country to take advantage of its flexibility with respect to building codes and zoning laws.
Any one of the tiny house communities above is worth considering for its convenient location, beautiful grounds and high quality amenities. Click any of the links in this post to learn more about these NC tiny house communities.