Yakutat City and Borough, AK · off-grid fact sheet
Can you live off-grid in Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska?
46
of 100
Not recommended
Possible, but hard and costly. The growing season is about 60 frost-free days and winter sun is weak, so plan on a greenhouse and a bigger battery bank or a generator. Rain is plentiful, about 137 inches a year. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 45%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation.
What the land says
Rain
Rain can supply much of a household's water with a large tank. A garden mostly waters itself in normal years.
About 137 inches a year (30-year average)
Wells
Well depth is unknown here. Ask the seller for the well log, or price a test well, before you offer.
No well depths in the public records for this area
Growing season
Very short. A greenhouse makes the difference.
About 60 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about June 26, first about August 25
Sun
Weak sun. Solar needs a generator behind it in winter.
About 2.7 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 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
Earthquakes
Strong shaking is possible. Build to the seismic code and brace the water tank.
USGS seismic hazard map: very high
Terrain
Steep. A flat house site and a driveway route will drive the cost.
Slopes average about 45%, about 630 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because the soil stays wet for long stretches. The county's soil test decides.
Sandy clay loam, poorly drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
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.
Ask the seller for the well log, or look in the state's well records.
We found no public well records for this area.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The soil stays wet, which can rule out a standard system.
Road access
Confirm a recorded easement to the parcel.
The nearest roads are often dirt tracks.
Nearby counties
687 people live in Yakutat City and Borough, about 0.1 per square mile. It ranks tied for 21st of the 29 Alaska counties we scored, and Alaska ranks 50th of 50 states.