Henrico, VA

Practical resilience for a relocator: food, water, energy, and defensibility

Henrico’s practical resilience is above average for a suburban county, largely because of its size and diversity of land use. The county spans 244 square miles and includes significant agricultural acreage, particularly in the eastern and northern reaches. This means local food production is not just theoretical — there are working farms, farmers’ markets, and a strong presence of the Virginia Cooperative Extension, which offers resources for home gardening and small-scale livestock. For a family aiming to supplement their food supply, Henrico’s zoning is generally permissive for backyard chickens and small gardens in suburban lots, though larger livestock is restricted to agricultural zones.

Water security is a more nuanced picture. Henrico’s public water supply comes primarily from the James River, treated by the county’s water treatment plants. In a prolonged grid-down scenario, residents on municipal water would lose pressure quickly. However, the county’s suburban density means that most homes are within reasonable distance of the James River, numerous creeks, and several large reservoirs (including the Chickahominy Reservoir and Swift Creek Reservoir). A well-thought-out property with a private well — common in the more rural western and northern parts of the county — offers a significant resilience advantage. Rainwater catchment is legal and practical, though Virginia law places some restrictions on collection for potable use.

Energy resilience is improving but uneven. Dominion Energy, the primary utility, has a mixed reliability record during severe storms, with some outages lasting multiple days in the more wooded, less densely populated parts of the county. Solar adoption is growing, and net metering is available, but Henrico’s suburban homeowners’ associations (HOAs) can impose restrictions on panel placement. For the serious prepper, a property outside HOA jurisdiction — which exists in the unincorporated areas — is strongly advisable. Natural gas is widely available in the more developed areas, providing a backup cooking and heating option if the electric grid fails.

Defensibility is a function of layout. Henrico is not a fortress; it is a sprawling suburban county with multiple major highways (I-64, I-95, I-295) running through it, making it highly permeable in a chaotic scenario. However, its very sprawl means that a determined resident can find a relatively secluded property with good sightlines and limited through-traffic, particularly in the rural eastern end near New Kent County or the northwestern areas near Hanover. The county has a strong, well-funded police force and a low violent crime rate, which contributes to day-to-day security but should not be mistaken for a guarantee in a breakdown of civil order.

For the relocator, the practical recommendation is to target the less dense, more agricultural edges of Henrico — Varina, eastern Glen Allen, or the far western reaches near Short Pump’s rural fringe — where well water, solar feasibility, and space for food production are realistic. Avoid the dense apartment corridors along West Broad Street and the immediate airport vicinity if strategic depth is a priority.

Overall, Henrico County offers a strong strategic picture for the resilience-minded relocator who wants proximity to urban infrastructure without living inside the blast radius. It is not a remote bug-out location, but it is a well-resourced, stable, and defensible suburban environment with genuine capacity for self-sufficiency at the household level. The key is choosing the right neighborhood within the county — one that trades some convenience for space, water independence, and distance from the most obvious target sets. For a family that wants to live a normal, prosperous life while maintaining a serious preparedness posture, Henrico is one of the more sensible options in the Mid-Atlantic.