Can you live off-grid in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska?
64
of 100
Major concerns
Possible, but hard and costly. The growing season is about 113 frost-free days and winter sun is weak, so plan on a greenhouse and a bigger battery bank or a generator. Wells are shallow here, near 60 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. The nearest roads are often dirt tracks, so plan to build or maintain your own access.
What the land says
Rain
Rain helps, but plan on a well for most of your water and on watering the garden in dry months.
About 38 inches a year (30-year average)
Wells
Shallow wells, so drilling should be one of the cheaper costs.
The typical well here is about 60 feet deep; a well typically runs $24,000 to $53,000
Growing season
Very short. A greenhouse makes the difference.
About 113 frost-free days, USDA zone 3b; last frost about May 27, first about September 18
Sun
Weak sun. Solar needs a generator behind it in winter.
About 3.0 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones are rare here. Still, look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps no flood zones nearby
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Low here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 5%, about 130 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Dirt tracks. Plan to build or maintain your own road.
Nearest road often a dirt track, about 1 mile away (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Alaska parcel, or plan the one you own
Get a free 0-100 off-grid score.
A step-by-step build plan, sizing your solar, water, garden, septic, heat, and buildings.
Is it legal here?
Zoning
Rural land here is often unzoned. Confirm with the borough before you build.
Building code
Alaska has no statewide building code for one- to three-family homes, so a house needs a building permit only where a city or borough, such as Anchorage, has adopted its own code. Homes financed by Alaska Housing Finance Corporation must still meet state construction standards and pass inspections.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Water belongs to whoever claimed it first. A new well or pond may need a state permit, and a creek may already be claimed.
Drilled to about 60 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$33,000 to $89,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$2,000 to $9,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$83,000 to $195,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Road access
Confirm a recorded easement to the parcel.
The nearest roads are often dirt tracks.
Zoning
Confirm with the borough whether the parcel is zoned.
Rural land in Alaska is often unzoned.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
Nearby counties
4,607 people live in Dillingham Census Area, about 0.3 per square mile. It ranks 5th of the 29 Alaska counties we scored, and Alaska ranks 50th of 50 states.