Northwest Arctic Borough, AK · off-grid fact sheet
Can you live off-grid in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska?
44
of 100
Not recommended
Possible, but hard and costly. The growing season is about 78 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 40 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. Septic will likely cost more, because rock or a hard layer sits about 24 inches down.
What the land says
Rain
Too dry to live on rain. Plan on a well, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 21 inches a year (30-year average)
Wells
Shallow wells, so drilling should be one of the cheaper costs.
The typical well here is about 40 feet deep; a well typically runs $24,000 to $53,000
Growing season
Very short. A greenhouse makes the difference.
About 78 frost-free days, USDA zone 2a; last frost about June 8, first about August 27
Sun
Weak sun. Solar needs a generator behind it in winter.
About 2.9 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, but the ground stays wet. Build on the higher, drier spot.
Slopes average about 5%, about 110 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect an engineered septic system. The ground stays wet most of the year. The county's soil test decides.
Silt loam, very poorly drained (USDA soil survey). An engineered system typically runs $15,000 to $25,000
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 40 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$15,000 to $25,000
Engineered 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
$93,000 to $210,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Rock or a hard layer sits about 24 inches down, which can rule out a standard system.
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.
Nearby counties
7,361 people live in Northwest Arctic Borough, about 0.2 per square mile. It ranks tied for 23rd of the 29 Alaska counties we scored, and Alaska ranks 50th of 50 states.