Summary
While mostProject Zomboidplayers will opt to live in houses, heavily barricading their walls and doors with planks, metal sheets, and curtains to shield themselves from the decaying world, many survivors have other ideas. Some players might opt to take residence in the rural nature of Knox County’s forests, nesting in their tents with only luck and a fading campfire to guide them.
With limitless possibilities for locations to set up a home sturdy enough to ensure survival, some base locations can provide a long-lasting solution to outlive the ever-growing zombie population.
Updated on Aug 05, 2025, by Abigail Angell:Recent updates to Project Zomboid included in Build 42 have changed zombie spawning and loot availability and even added four new sizable towns to the map. Echo Creek, Irvington, Bradenburg, Ekron, and Coalfield all contain interesting locations to build a base, especially considering the new and improved system for keeping livestock and growing crops. The availability of forageable resources and wildlife spawn patterns also impact the ideal base locations in this latest update.
15North Farm, Muldraugh
Secluded With Lots Of Space
The North Farm is a great location for survivors looking to lead a quiet life, with the added luxury of spacious farmland where typically very few zombies inhabit the area. Found in the northern part of Muldraugh (7857x13171), this location provides space for building buildings and a natural line of sight covered from wandering hordes due to its forested perimeter.
With a cozy home interior, coupled with a barn equipped to store any goods and resources, players can even be well-prepared for the upcoming Build 42 update, which will introduce tameable animals for the first time. Next to the barn sits a ripe field ready to sow the next harvest, proving North Farm to be a farmer’s delight.
14Lake Manors, Westpoint
Fish For Food & Live In Luxury
Westpoint is a notoriously difficult starting location for even veteranProject Zomboidplayers. Its high spawn rates, forcing zombies to relentlessly attack after each turn of a corner, can make settling down difficult. Westpoint’s Lake Manors (9746x6565) are some of the calmer POIs in the locality.
There are three large houses, each accompanied by garages and decently sized gardens, with a mixture of fences and shrubbery surrounding each one for additional protection. The southernmosthouse borders a lake at the edge of its garden and a river on the north side, making it another valuable position to fish and stay away from denser, moreinfested zombie populations.With careful planning, clever use of defense, and the right mindset, players can turn one of the lake manors into a thriving little settlement.
13AMZ Steel, Ekron
A Base Of Metalworking Operations
The upsides to AMZ Steel (1924x10834) as a base only really became apparent with the update to the crafting system in build 42. The reworked metalworking skill (previously blacksmithing) now utilizes a wider variety of tools and stations that players will need to have on hand. For this purpose, AMZ Steel is a good choice due to already having many of the objects and resources necessary for metalworking, as well as plenty of space to build those still needed. In addition, small living quarters exist on-site that players can convert into their homes. The complex also contains pools of water that can be used for drinking and nearby farms to liberate agricultural equipment.
However, despite these benefits, AMZ Steel has one major downside that is tricky to overcome. It is located on the outskirts of two settlements, Ekron and Echo Creek, and is surrounded by woods and farmland. While this reduces the zombie spawns, it also makes it difficult and time-consuming to get into larger towns. Ideally, this location is a better second base, which players can move to after they have cars to transport large amounts of items and have already looted important supplies such as medicine and tools from downtown areas.
12Large Gated Community, Louisville
The HOA At The End Of The World
Having one entrance can either be a blessing or a curse - depending on the situation. With three gated houses and only one way in, living in the gated communities of eastern Louisville (14152x2639) certainly has its benefits.
Living on the outskirts of Louisville, players are less likely to encounter hordes as the area is semi-secluded, with a forestneighboring nearby. Survivors should expect to create a small, homely community in this location while still enjoying the spoils of livingin a loot-heavyLouisville.
11Church Of The Holy Redeemer, Bradenburg
The Cult At The End Of The World
The Church of the Holy Redeemer (2083x6022) in Bradenburg is the perfect base location for a group of players looking to roleplay a cult or someone simply looking for a nice building near important resources. The building is in the center of Bradenburg, with a café and police station across the street for early food and weapons. In the nearby neighborhood, players can also find a Dentist, where medical supplies can be sourced, a tool store for tools and crafting materials, and a post office for maps, notebooks, and pens. In addition, the rest of Bradenburg is a short car ride away and has enough loot to rival Louisville.
The major downside to this location, and why it doesn’t rank more highly on the list, is the plentiful zombie spawns in Bradenburg and the lack of primitive amenities nearby. Players will likely not be able to farm animals in this location, as there are no nearby farms to find livestock on, and they must be transported for great distances. The only reasonable option for long-term food production is the Gardening Store in a strip mall to the South, where players might be able to find seeds, fertilizer, and gardening tools. In addition, stoves that work without electricity are unlikely in the city and must be crafted by someone with sufficient skill.
10MASS GENFAC, Muldraugh
Oodles Of Storage & A Rooftop
The MASS-GENFAC warehouse (10612x9312) provides dozens of storage crates with plenty of loot to settle down and start planning for any journeys that lie ahead. With a large, multistory building, players can even choose togrow their cropson its roof rather than on the surface of the grass outside.
With the rooftop access comes the additional perk of being able to leave out pots, pans, and rain barrels to collect valuable rainwater. GENFAC is just a short walk away from Muldraugh’s various and now defunct establishments,which are crawling with resources ready to be looted.
9The Military Base
Well Fortified Once Cleared & Secluded
The Military Base (5475x12605) is extremely well protected and hidden. Tucked away in the far reaches of South-Western Knox Country, getting here is quite the journey, so bring a vehicle in good condition with plenty of fuel. While players will have access to a deadly arsenal of guns and ammo once the area has been cleared, doing so is no simple task.
Much like Knox Prison, the base is teeming with the undead, so players will want to strategically eliminate them with cunning precision or look to bring in some friends and some heavy firepower. With the expansiveness that the Military Base offers, for solo players, the place can feel a little overwhelming should they decide to clear it themselves and live there. The cost of living in such a well-guarded perimeter is its loneliness, as it’s one of the most rural and isolated areas in the game. Players who choose to live in the Military base should plan on having a working car and gas at all times to secure important loot.
8Kentucky State Prison, Rosewood
A Giant Complex With Challenges
Knox Prison (7718x11881) is the most heavily fortified area in the game, surrounded by layers of unclimbable protective fencing, iron bars, and metal sheets. Getting inside requires calculation and wit, all while being able to fight hordes of undead inmates as players carefully route their way inside. With a long fence perimeter, it’s easy to be backed into a corner with no way out.
Players should be warned that this area is incredibly dangerous and should come prepared with a well-equipped arsenal, as hordes will be looking to sink their teeth into unsuspecting players from all directions. Once the area has been cleared through sheer firepower or lured away in groups via horns or alarms, players can rest assured that zombies won’t be able to claw their way through the fences.
7Central Apartments, Louisville
An Easily Barracaded Neighborhood In Lousiville
Louisville has hundreds of apartments, many of which will be one-time pit-stops for the night, areas players decide to loot, or places to attempt to recover in while dozens of the dead wander the streets searching for their next meal. The Central Louisville Apartments (12844x1472) is an ideal location for players seeking a more urban destination to increase the difficulty and intensity of their survival.
However, one such apartment complex right next to a busy, retail-heavy street is a great candidate for a more permanent home. Because of the complex’s central location in Louisville, getting enough loot there will be no issue. Additionally, fortifications can effectively cut this small neighborhood off from the rest of the city for defense purposes. Building fortifications in the right places and or even utilizing cars as a means to block unwanted zombie access can turn the area into a flourishing settlement. While central Louisville is one of the hardest areas in the game due to its insanely high zombie population, living here and thriving can feel extremely rewarding.
6Ovo Farms, Echo Creek
A Simple Country Life For Simple Country Survivors
Ovo Farms (3988x10792) is a livestock farm on the outskirts of Echo Creek, the new starting town introduced in Build 42. This farm comes ready with tools, feeding troughs, and fences for livestock raising. Its proximity to Echo Creek makes loot runs in the downtown area very easy while simultaneously being far away enough to avoid zombie hot spots. In addition to being well-appointed for animals, the two-story farmhouse on the property contains comfortable accommodation for a solo player or small group, and the stairs can be barricaded for airtight defense.
Players looking to start here will want to prioritize their foraging, agriculture, and hunting skill sets, as having these will allow them to gain the most benefit from Ovo Farm’s location. They should also quickly find a working car, as trips into town for crafting resources and tools will be both necessary and laborious on foot. Livestock to start using Ovo Farm’s agricultural operations can be discovered in the rural areas around Echo Creek (or even already inhabiting Ovo Farms) and can be tamed and brought back using a rope.
