Hollywood is a soul-sucker. That's basically the sentiment Josh Duhamel has been leaning into lately. If you’re looking for him on Rodeo Drive, you're looking in the wrong place. Honestly, the Transformers star has pulled off one of the most drastic lifestyle pivots in recent celebrity history.
So, where does Josh Duhamel live?
Most of the year, he’s tucked away in the deep woods of Minnesota. Specifically, he resides on a remote, 26-acre lakeside property that he’s spent fifteen years turning into what he jokingly calls his "doomsday prepper" paradise. It’s not just a vacation home; it’s his primary sanctuary.
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The Minnesota "Doomsday" Cabin Explained
You’ve probably seen the headlines. People hear "doomsday cabin" and imagine a concrete bunker with ten years of canned beans. It's not quite that extreme, but it's close to the bone. The property is located about 90 minutes east of Fargo, North Dakota, right in the heart of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
He’s roughly 40 miles from the nearest grocery store.
Think about that. If you forget the milk, you’re looking at a nearly two-hour round trip.
This isn't some pre-packaged luxury estate he bought off a catalog. Duhamel started with a single 12-acre parcel and a cabin that was, frankly, disgusting. We’re talking no electricity, no running water, and a serious mouse problem. For the first twelve years, he and his family were basically homesteading. They used outhouses. They washed dishes in the lake.
"It's an exhale whenever we get here," Duhamel told Country Living in early 2025. He’s since expanded the footprint to 26 acres and added a second "cute little red cabin" with a stone chimney that sits right on the water.
Why the Midwest?
Duhamel grew up in Minot, North Dakota. The Hollywood glitz never really stuck to him. He’s admitted that the Los Angeles lifestyle can "suck the soul out of you," and he wanted his kids—his son Axl (with ex-wife Fergie) and his toddler Shepherd (with wife Audra Mari)—to grow up catching frogs and getting filthy instead of staring at iPads.
The property is now roughly 70% "apocalypse ready" as of late 2025. It’s got:
- Three wells for independent water access.
- Starlink internet (because even preppers need Netflix).
- Food plots of clover and chicory to attract deer for hunting.
- Bobcat equipment that he uses to clear trails, move rocks, and snowblow the two-mile dirt road that leads to the house.
What Happened to the Encino House?
Does he still have a foot in California? Technically, yes. You can’t exactly film a Netflix series like Ransom Canyon from a tree stand in Minnesota.
Duhamel still owns a modern ranch-style home in Encino, California. He bought the 3,281-square-foot "bachelor pad" for about $2.65 million back in 2018 after his split from Fergie. It’s a classic mid-century modern build with five bedrooms and a "great room" that he specifically designed for entertaining.
But here's the kicker: he doesn't really live there anymore.
In early 2024, he put the Encino ranch on the rental market for $15,000 a month. While the listing was eventually pulled, it signaled a permanent shift. The Encino house is now more of a landing pad for when work calls him back to the West Coast. For Josh, the "indoor/outdoor" flow of L.A. is nothing compared to the actual outdoors of the Midwest.
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The Reality of Living Off-Grid
Living 40 miles from civilization isn't always a Terry Redlin painting. Duhamel has been vocal about the learning curve. He wasn’t a hunter growing up. He’s had to learn how to till land, plant pumpkins and corn, and fix his own machinery.
It's a "big playground" for him, but it's also a legacy. He’s focused on teaching his sons the basics of survival—fishing, building fires, and navigating the woods. He’s even added a lakeside "cantina" space with a shaded area for his youngest son and a wood-burning sauna that gets used for "ice hole" plunges on New Year's Eve.
How to Follow Josh's Lead
You don't need a movie star's budget to find your own version of "off-the-grid" living, though it certainly helps when buying tractors. If you're looking to replicate that sense of peace Duhamel talks about, consider these steps:
- Look for "unimproved" land: Duhamel bought his first parcel for a fraction of what it's worth now because it lacked basic utilities.
- Focus on water: He emphasizes his three wells as a "huge deal." If you're looking at remote property, the water table is more important than the view.
- Start small: Don't try to build a 26-acre compound in a year. He took 15 years to get his Minnesota home to "year-round" status.
- Learn the skills: Before moving, learn basic maintenance. If you can't fix a leak or clear a road, "civilization" being 40 miles away becomes a danger rather than a luxury.
Josh Duhamel isn't just "living" in Minnesota; he's shaping the land. It's a far cry from the red carpets, but for a guy who'd rather spend money on a tractor than a Ferrari, it's exactly where he belongs.
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If you are interested in tracking celebrity real estate shifts toward the Midwest, you should look into the recent property tax changes in states like Minnesota and North Dakota, as they are becoming increasingly popular for high-net-worth individuals seeking privacy.