The idea of living off the grid—once mostly associated with hippies and doomsday preppers—has been steadily attracting a wider range of people, from remote workers to families looking for a simpler, back-to-basics lifestyle.
Enter the modern-day homesteader: someone who chooses to live more self-sufficiently in a rural setting.
This kind of lifestyle often means growing some of your own food, producing your own energy from solar, wind, or water rather than relying on the regular power grid, cutting down on waste, and trying to live more sustainably day to day.
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A November 2024 report from Fannie Mae showed that mortgage applications for housing in rural areas spiked 80% since the start of the pandemic.
“Although only a small share of urban residents relocated to rural areas during the pandemic, their influx represented a disproportionate increase in demand for housing in those regions,” writes Kevin Park, housing economist working at the time on Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research team.
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Even as elevated mortgage interest rates cooled buyer demand in metros, application activity in rural parts of the United States remained above pre-pandemic averages, according to Fannie Mae research.
Interest in different types of remote areas has fluctuated: resort-style communities saw an early surge that has since died down, while institution-rich hubs featuring schools, banks, hospitals, and libraries continue to attract house hunters.
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According to data from Realtor.com, list prices in the typical rural county grew 64% from July 2019 to July 2025, compared with an increase of 42% in the median metro area county.
And since mortgage interest rates climbed in 2022, the shift toward rural areas has intensified. Over the past three years, prices in the typical rural county have surged 13%, compared with 4% in its metro counterpart.
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But as you can see from the photos, there are many homesteading models. They range from a single-family home with all the modern conveniences in a rural setting that’s just a short drive from a town with stores and coffee shops, to a fully off-grid log cabin miles away from the nearest settlement.
Theresa Lunn, broker and owner of United Country Real Estate-Western Montana Group, says that some buyers initially approach her hoping to purchase property that will let them live a fully self-sufficient lifestyle—only to realize they are not ready for it.
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“Sustainability and being self-sufficient, those are very relative terms,” Lunn explains. “So for some people, being self-sufficient is growing tomatoes out on their little lanai. And to some people, they want the spread with acres of garden.”
Even the concept of going off-grid—disconnecting from public utilities and switching to self-sufficient electrical and water systems—covers a wide spectrum and comes with a steep learning curve, especially for people moving from big cities.
Lunn says in Western Montana, it’s often the harsh, snowy climate that pushes newcomers to their limits—and sends some running for the hills.
“There is nothing more powerful than the truth, and you have got to be truthful with people and explain to them that this is going to be a long winter,” she says.
According to the broker, many city dwellers fantasize about leaving their cubicles behind to live off the land in a place like Montana, without realizing the hardships that come with it.
For some, the ultimate reality check is “a good, strong winter,” says Lunn.
Others manage to work around their inexperience, such as becoming snowbirds and spending the cold winter months in warmer locales, before returning to Big Sky Country for the summer.