Home Studies Best Australian State to go Off-Grid in 2023

Best Australian State to go Off-Grid in 2023

Updated: December 6, 2023

Whether you’re looking to exit the rat race or simply want a country change and try your hand at living off the grid, choosing where to live in Australia is going to determine set-up costs and ultimately your chances of success.

The 2022 winner for the best state to go off-grid is Queensland, followed closely by VIC, ACT, and WA.

When conducting this study, we considered 18 different variables in 4 main categories: land cost, government rebates on solar panels, daily sunshine, rainfall, and anything that might affect your cost of setting up and chances of success. We also weighted them accordingly. See the methodology below.

There is more to think about than solar panels and a septic tank. Flooding threats, land taxes, and temperature ranges are just a few of the other things we measured.

Resource: See full study results here

Table of Contents

State ranking

In the following table, each state stands in their overall ranking order.

Overall rank	State	Total score	Cost rank	Energy Rebate	Eco rank	Feasibility rank	Safety rank
1	Queensland	190	40	54	43	29	24
2	Victoria	176	21	57	34	23	41
3	Australian Capital Territory	170	24	51	48	5	42
4	Western Australia	169	25	36	53	26	29
5	South Australia	157	26	54	31	20	26
6	Northern territory	156	25	48	42	24	17
7	New South Wales	155	23	42	37	19	34
8	Tasmania	135	17	24	45	20	29

The category-based ranking is represented graphically with variable scores.

In the most basic terms, going off the grid can mean living in suburbia and just producing your own power. The cost of solar panels, batteries, and the government incentives will be one of the only metrics you are looking at.

Below we have broken down the winning states by metric into 4 main categories which include power generation, cost of land and living, Environment/ feasibility, and hazards.

See full study results here

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Description	Impact over off grid living	Data source	Specific concerns with off grid living
1	Cost	Cost of land	What is the average cost of the land of the particular state and if there is any daviation in the zoning based price.	High	https://www.ruralbank.com.au/	If one has to finance the land and the building of the home, he/she will need a construction home loan, which is a lot like a traditional mortgage, except it’s for building the home and comes with some more stringent rules. Moreover, if one thinking about farming and raising cattle, it creates more land demand
2	Cost	Average cost of Electricity	The average cost people need to pay for living in the major cities of the particular state	Medium	https://www.aemc.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-12/AEMC%20National%20summary%20Infographic%20FINAL.pdf	More expensive electricity costs would increase the incentive for going off-grid for the city dwellers.
4	Cost	Living cost	Cost of living indexes include expenses such as food, shelter, transportation, energy, clothing, healthcare, and childcare. A cost of living index is also used to track how much the costs of basic expenses rise over a period.	Low
5	Energy and water incentive	Current rebates for solar installlation	The solar panel rebate is an Australian government initiative called the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. If you install an eligible solar power system, you will receive a rebate by claiming the Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).	High	Please see tab "Rebates & System Prices by State" on this sheet	More rebates for solar power will potentially reduce the cost of setting the power source to satisfy the energy demand and promote a sustainable power source.
6	Energy and water incentive	Rebates for solar batteries	The Australian Capital Territory government is also offering a rebate on the purchase of new solar batteries. The rebate can save you up to $825 per kWh off the cost of a battery.	High		This battery rebate will further downsize the cost of power source installation and maintenance cost in future.
7	Energy and water incentive	"Renewable power incentives (Rebates)"	Households and small businesses across Australia that install a small scale renewable energy system (solar, wind or hydro) or eligible hot water system may be able to receive a benefit under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) to help with the purchase cost.	High	https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/renewable-power-incentives
8	Energy and water incentive	Rainwater rebate	Help from the government in setting up rainwater system	Medium	https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/rainwater-tank-rebate	Definately a big plus for australians who wants to live off-grid. The Water Corporation Rainwater tank rebate provides eligible Western Australian customers, including residential and non-residential properties, schools, not-for-profit property and government owned property, with rebates of up to $1000 to install or replace a rainwater tank.
9	Environment	Daily sunshine hours	Sunshine duration or sunshine hours is a climatological indicator, measuring duration of sunshine in given period (usually, a day or a year) for a given location on Earth, typically expressed as an averaged value over several years.	High	http://www.bom.gov.au/watl/sunshine/	The more hours of sunshine the more energy that can be captured.In the best-case scenario, solar panels to receive about four or five hours of direct sunlight. Specifically, that sunlight should reach your panels between 10 am and 3 pm. This is when the sun is in its highest position and the rays are the most direct
10	Environment	Rainfall	A measure of the intensity of rainfall by calculating the amount of rain that would fall over a given interval of time if the rainfall intensity were constant over that time period. The rate is typically expressed in terms of length (depth) per unit time, for example, millimeters per hour, or inches per hour.	High	https://www.statista.com/statistics/610486/australia-rainfall-by-state/	The balance between growing your food (rain = good) and powering your home with solar (rain = bad). Furthermore, rain in a place away from the city hydro system will act as a source of clean water for daily uses (rain=good).
11	Environment	No. of Sunny Days (no clouds)	Number of days in a year it usually stays sunny	Medium	https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Australia/Cities/sunshine-annual-average.php	Ties into the above rainfall stats. High rainfall but lots of sunny days would be ideal. This variable canbe easily pair up with the rainfall variable.
12	Environment	Tempreture range	Measures the average range of temperature in a specific time of the year	Medium	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Australia	Hursh winter or summer requires more preparation and resource for living. These can impact economically also discourage the occupant to stay in the place
13	Environment	Wind speed	Average wind velosity of the are in different season	High		After solar, the wind is considered a widespread energy source for living off-grid. Wind can be utilized to produce extra energy and store it when solar is not generating enough power to satisfy the energy need.
14	Feasiblity	Growing crops	Growing own food in the aquired land	Medium		Soil fertility and natural conditions that foster crop growth is always a plus for promoting self dependency while living away from the conventional market system
15	Feasiblity	Natural resoirces (forest, waters etc.)		Low
16	Feasiblity	Population density	Density of people living in the rural sattlements	Low
17	Hazard	Flooding threat	Historical data about food frequency and flood levels for the area	Medium	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods_in_Australia	Frequently flood-affected places should be avoided. Otherwise, there is a strong chance of facing flood-related troubles often.
18	Emergency services	There is sometimes emergency (health, fire hazard, natural/ man-made disasters etc.) that could appear and require emergency assistance from external service providers. number of hospitals and fire station for unit of people	Historical data about food frequency and flood levels for the area	Low		If the area specifically has a history of natural disasters, it's always good to check for a location with good community support and access to emergency services.
19	Hazard	Weather issues/ Diseaster Index	Stability of the weather and chances of happening extreme weather events. The Disaster Risk Index (DRI) is aimed at assessing the average risk of death per country in large and medium-scale disasters associated with earthquakes, tropical cyclones, and floods.	High	https://www.preventionweb.net/files/72869_sodrrpublicationready07082019.pdf	How frequent and any chances of extreme weather events in that area will reduce the feasibility of selecting the place for long-term off-grid living.
20	Hazard	Violance/crime rate	The rate of crime in the particular state both in cities and outside of cities	Medium	https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/recorded-crime-victims/latest-release#northern-territory	The crime rate of a state, if data available for both cities and outside of the cities of that state, will represent facts about safety considerations while living outside the city surveillanc system2.

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Weight	Max value	Min value	Best
1	Cost	Cost of land	3	10930	2569	Min
2	Cost	Average cost of Electricity (c/kWh)	2	38.96	22.2	Min
3	Cost	Zoning and property tax
4	Cost	living cost (average monthly cost)	1	3650	2600	Min
5	Energy and water incentive	Current rebates for solar installlation (rebate for e 6 kWh system)	3	3157	2733	Max
6	Energy and water incentive	"Renewable power incentives (Rebates)"	3	3157	2733	Max
7	Energy and water incentive	Rainwater rebate	3	3157	2733	Max
8	Environment	Daily sunshine hours	3	3157	2733	Max
9	Environment	Rainfall	3	3157	2733	Max
10	Environment	No. of Sunny Days (no clouds)	3	3157	2733	Max
11	Environment	Tempreture range	3	3157	2733	Max
12	Environment	Wind speed	3	3157	2733	Max
13	Feasiblity	Growing crops	3	3157	2733	Max
14	Feasiblity	Natural resoirces (forest, waters etc.)	3	3157	2733	Max
15	Feasiblity	Population density	3	3157	2733	Max
16	Hazard	Flooding threat	3	3157	2733	Max
17	Emergency services	There is sometimes emergency (health, fire hazard, natural/ man-made disasters etc.) that could appear and require emergency assistance from external service providers. number of hospitals and fire station for unit of people	3	3157	2733	Max
18	Hazard	Weather issues/ Diseaster Index	3	3157	2733	Max
19	Hazard	Violance/crime rate	3	3157	2733	Max

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Weight	Max value	Min value	Best
1	Australian Capital Territory	22.81	7	2	14	Min
2	New South Wales	26.53	4	2	8	Min
3	Northern Territory	24.23	6	2	12	Min
4	South Australia	35.32	8	4	16	Min
5	Tasmania	26.59	3	2	6	Min
6	Western Australia	38.96	1	2	2	Min

	States	Growth from last year (%)	Average 5 year annual growth(%)	Average price of per hectare land	Rank	Weight	Total value	Best
1	Western Australia	28.2	7.2	2569	7	3	21	min
2	Queensland	15.7	4.9	4650	6	3	18	min
3	South Australia	18.4	10.5	4943	5	3	15	min
4	South Australia	35.32	8	4	16	Min
5	New South Wales	17.2	11.1	5066	4	3	12	Min
6	Australian Capital Territory			5907	3	3	9	Min
7	Northern territory			5907	3	3	9	Min
8	Victoria	12.1	9.1	7587	2	3	6	Min
9	Tasmania	11.1	7.2	10930	1	3	3	Min

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Description	Impact over off grid living	Data source	Specific concerns with off grid living
1	Cost	Cost of land	What is the average cost of the land of the particular state and if there is any daviation in the zoning based price.	High	https://www.ruralbank.com.au/	If one has to finance the land and the building of the home, he/she will need a construction home loan, which is a lot like a traditional mortgage, except it’s for building the home and comes with some more stringent rules. Moreover, if one thinking about farming and raising cattle, it creates more land demand
2	Cost	Average cost of Electricity	The average cost people need to pay for living in the major cities of the particular state	Medium	https://www.aemc.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-12/AEMC%20National%20summary%20Infographic%20FINAL.pdf	More expensive electricity costs would increase the incentive for going off-grid for the city dwellers.
4	Cost	Living cost	Cost of living indexes include expenses such as food, shelter, transportation, energy, clothing, healthcare, and childcare. A cost of living index is also used to track how much the costs of basic expenses rise over a period.	Low
5	Energy and water incentive	Current rebates for solar installlation	The solar panel rebate is an Australian government initiative called the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. If you install an eligible solar power system, you will receive a rebate by claiming the Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).	High	Please see tab "Rebates & System Prices by State" on this sheet	More rebates for solar power will potentially reduce the cost of setting the power source to satisfy the energy demand and promote a sustainable power source.
6	Energy and water incentive	Rebates for solar batteries	The Australian Capital Territory government is also offering a rebate on the purchase of new solar batteries. The rebate can save you up to $825 per kWh off the cost of a battery.	High		This battery rebate will further downsize the cost of power source installation and maintenance cost in future.
7	Energy and water incentive	"Renewable power incentives (Rebates)"	Households and small businesses across Australia that install a small scale renewable energy system (solar, wind or hydro) or eligible hot water system may be able to receive a benefit under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) to help with the purchase cost.	High	https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/renewable-power-incentives
8	Energy and water incentive	Rainwater rebate	Help from the government in setting up rainwater system	Medium	https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/rainwater-tank-rebate	Definately a big plus for australians who wants to live off-grid. The Water Corporation Rainwater tank rebate provides eligible Western Australian customers, including residential and non-residential properties, schools, not-for-profit property and government owned property, with rebates of up to $1000 to install or replace a rainwater tank.
9	Environment	Daily sunshine hours	Sunshine duration or sunshine hours is a climatological indicator, measuring duration of sunshine in given period (usually, a day or a year) for a given location on Earth, typically expressed as an averaged value over several years.	High	http://www.bom.gov.au/watl/sunshine/	The more hours of sunshine the more energy that can be captured.In the best-case scenario, solar panels to receive about four or five hours of direct sunlight. Specifically, that sunlight should reach your panels between 10 am and 3 pm. This is when the sun is in its highest position and the rays are the most direct
10	Environment	Rainfall	A measure of the intensity of rainfall by calculating the amount of rain that would fall over a given interval of time if the rainfall intensity were constant over that time period. The rate is typically expressed in terms of length (depth) per unit time, for example, millimeters per hour, or inches per hour.	High	https://www.statista.com/statistics/610486/australia-rainfall-by-state/	The balance between growing your food (rain = good) and powering your home with solar (rain = bad). Furthermore, rain in a place away from the city hydro system will act as a source of clean water for daily uses (rain=good).
11	Environment	No. of Sunny Days (no clouds)	Number of days in a year it usually stays sunny	Medium	https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Australia/Cities/sunshine-annual-average.php	Ties into the above rainfall stats. High rainfall but lots of sunny days would be ideal. This variable canbe easily pair up with the rainfall variable.
12	Environment	Tempreture range	Measures the average range of temperature in a specific time of the year	Medium	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Australia	Hursh winter or summer requires more preparation and resource for living. These can impact economically also discourage the occupant to stay in the place
13	Environment	Wind speed	Average wind velosity of the are in different season	High		After solar, the wind is considered a widespread energy source for living off-grid. Wind can be utilized to produce extra energy and store it when solar is not generating enough power to satisfy the energy need.
14	Feasiblity	Growing crops	Growing own food in the aquired land	Medium		Soil fertility and natural conditions that foster crop growth is always a plus for promoting self dependency while living away from the conventional market system
15	Feasiblity	Natural resoirces (forest, waters etc.)		Low
16	Feasiblity	Population density	Density of people living in the rural sattlements	Low
17	Hazard	Flooding threat	Historical data about food frequency and flood levels for the area	Medium	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods_in_Australia	Frequently flood-affected places should be avoided. Otherwise, there is a strong chance of facing flood-related troubles often.
18	Emergency services	There is sometimes emergency (health, fire hazard, natural/ man-made disasters etc.) that could appear and require emergency assistance from external service providers. number of hospitals and fire station for unit of people	Historical data about food frequency and flood levels for the area	Low		If the area specifically has a history of natural disasters, it's always good to check for a location with good community support and access to emergency services.
19	Hazard	Weather issues/ Diseaster Index	Stability of the weather and chances of happening extreme weather events. The Disaster Risk Index (DRI) is aimed at assessing the average risk of death per country in large and medium-scale disasters associated with earthquakes, tropical cyclones, and floods.	High	https://www.preventionweb.net/files/72869_sodrrpublicationready07082019.pdf	How frequent and any chances of extreme weather events in that area will reduce the feasibility of selecting the place for long-term off-grid living.
20	Hazard	Violance/crime rate	The rate of crime in the particular state both in cities and outside of cities	Medium	https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/recorded-crime-victims/latest-release#northern-territory	The crime rate of a state, if data available for both cities and outside of the cities of that state, will represent facts about safety considerations while living outside the city surveillanc system2.

Zone	1	2	3
Rating	1.622	1.536	1.382
STC Price	$38.50

Zone 1 - new
KW	1.5	2	3	4	5	6	6.6	7	8	9	10	12	15
# STC's	21	29	43	58	72	87	96	102	116	131	145	175	218
Gross Cost	$3,836	$4,423	$5,411	$6,685	$7,920	$9,342	$9,886	$10,540	$11,740	$12,895	$14,012	$18,288	$20,500
Rebate Amount	$809	$1,117	$1,656	$2,233	$2,772	$3,350	$3,696	$3,927	$4,466	$5,044	$5,583	$6,738	$8,393
Net Cost	$3,028	$3,307	$3,756	$4,452	$5,148	$5,993	$6,190	$6,613	$7,274	$7,852	$8,430	$11,551	$12,107
Cost per Watt	2.02	1.65	1.25	1.11	1.03	1.00	0.94	0.94	0.91	0.87	0.84	0.96	0.81

Zone 2 - new
KW	1.5	2	3	4	5	6	6.6	7	8	9	10	12	15
# STC's	20	27	41	55	69	82	91	96	110	124	138	165	207
Gross Cost	$3,836	$4,423	$5,411	$6,685	$7,920	$9,342	$9,886	$10,540	$11,740	$12,895	$14,012	$18,288	$20,500
Rebate Amount	$770	$1,040	$1,579	$2,118	$2,657	$3,157	$3,504	$3,696	$4,235	$4,774	$5,313	$6,353	$7,970
Net Cost	$3,066	$3,384	$3,833	$4,568	$5,264	$6,185	$6,383	$6,844	$7,505	$8,121	$8,699	$11,936	$12,531

Zone 3 - new
KW	1.5	2	3	4	5	6	6.6	7	8	9	10	12	15
# STC's	18	24	37	49	62	74	82	87	99	111	124	149	186
Gross Cost	$3,836	$4,423	$5,411	$6,685	$7,920	$9,342	$9,886	$10,540	$11,740	$12,895	$14,012	$18,288	$20,500
Rebate Amount	$693	$924	$1,425	$1,887	$2,387	$2,849	$3,157	$3,350	$3,812	$4,274	$4,774	$5,737	$7,161
Net Cost	$3,143	$3,499	$3,987	$4,799	$5,533	$6,493	$6,729	$7,191	$7,929	$8,622	$9,238	$12,552	$13,339

Zone 4
KW	1.5	2	3	4	5	6	6.6	7	8	9	10	12	15
# STC's	17	21	31	42	53	62	70	74	85	95	106	127	159
Gross Cost	$3,836	$4,423	$5,411	$6,685	$7,920	$9,342	$9,886	$10,540	$11,740	$12,895	$14,012	$18,288	$20,500
Rebate Amount	$655	$809	$1,194	$1,617	$2,041	$2,387	$2,695	$2,849	$3,273	$3,658	$4,081	$4,890	$6,122
Net Cost	$3,182	$3,615	$4,218	$5,068	$5,880	$6,955	$7,191	$7,691	$8,468	$9,238	$9,931	$13,399	$14,379

Zone	Rating
1	1.622
2	1.536
3	1.382
5	1.185

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Weight	Max value	Min value	Best
1	Australian Capital Territory	22.81	7	2	14	Min
2	New South Wales	26.53	4	2	8	Min
3	Northern Territory	24.23	6	2	12	Min
4	South Australia	35.32	8	4	16	Min
5	Tasmania	26.59	3	2	6	Min
6	Western Australia	38.96	1	2	2	Min

	States	Growth from last year (%)	Average 5 year annual growth(%)	Average price of per hectare land	Rank	Weight	Total value	Best
1	Western Australia	28.2	7.2	2569	7	3	21	min
2	Queensland	15.7	4.9	4650	6	3	18	min
3	South Australia	18.4	10.5	4943	5	3	15	min
4	South Australia	35.32	8	4	16	Min
5	New South Wales	17.2	11.1	5066	4	3	12	Min
6	Australian Capital Territory			5907	3	3	9	Min
7	Northern territory			5907	3	3	9	Min
8	Victoria	12.1	9.1	7587	2	3	6	Min
9	Tasmania	11.1	7.2	10930	1	3	3	Min

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Description	Impact over off grid living	Data source	Specific concerns with off grid living
1	Cost	Cost of land	What is the average cost of the land of the particular state and if there is any daviation in the zoning based price.	High	https://www.ruralbank.com.au/	If one has to finance the land and the building of the home, he/she will need a construction home loan, which is a lot like a traditional mortgage, except it’s for building the home and comes with some more stringent rules. Moreover, if one thinking about farming and raising cattle, it creates more land demand
2	Cost	Average cost of Electricity	The average cost people need to pay for living in the major cities of the particular state	Medium	https://www.aemc.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-12/AEMC%20National%20summary%20Infographic%20FINAL.pdf	More expensive electricity costs would increase the incentive for going off-grid for the city dwellers.
4	Cost	Living cost	Cost of living indexes include expenses such as food, shelter, transportation, energy, clothing, healthcare, and childcare. A cost of living index is also used to track how much the costs of basic expenses rise over a period.	Low
5	Energy and water incentive	Current rebates for solar installlation	The solar panel rebate is an Australian government initiative called the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. If you install an eligible solar power system, you will receive a rebate by claiming the Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).	High	Please see tab "Rebates & System Prices by State" on this sheet	More rebates for solar power will potentially reduce the cost of setting the power source to satisfy the energy demand and promote a sustainable power source.
6	Energy and water incentive	Rebates for solar batteries	The Australian Capital Territory government is also offering a rebate on the purchase of new solar batteries. The rebate can save you up to $825 per kWh off the cost of a battery.	High		This battery rebate will further downsize the cost of power source installation and maintenance cost in future.
7	Energy and water incentive	"Renewable power incentives (Rebates)"	Households and small businesses across Australia that install a small scale renewable energy system (solar, wind or hydro) or eligible hot water system may be able to receive a benefit under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) to help with the purchase cost.	High	https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/renewable-power-incentives
8	Energy and water incentive	Rainwater rebate	Help from the government in setting up rainwater system	Medium	https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/rainwater-tank-rebate	Definately a big plus for australians who wants to live off-grid. The Water Corporation Rainwater tank rebate provides eligible Western Australian customers, including residential and non-residential properties, schools, not-for-profit property and government owned property, with rebates of up to $1000 to install or replace a rainwater tank.
9	Environment	Daily sunshine hours	Sunshine duration or sunshine hours is a climatological indicator, measuring duration of sunshine in given period (usually, a day or a year) for a given location on Earth, typically expressed as an averaged value over several years.	High	http://www.bom.gov.au/watl/sunshine/	The more hours of sunshine the more energy that can be captured.In the best-case scenario, solar panels to receive about four or five hours of direct sunlight. Specifically, that sunlight should reach your panels between 10 am and 3 pm. This is when the sun is in its highest position and the rays are the most direct
10	Environment	Rainfall	A measure of the intensity of rainfall by calculating the amount of rain that would fall over a given interval of time if the rainfall intensity were constant over that time period. The rate is typically expressed in terms of length (depth) per unit time, for example, millimeters per hour, or inches per hour.	High	https://www.statista.com/statistics/610486/australia-rainfall-by-state/	The balance between growing your food (rain = good) and powering your home with solar (rain = bad). Furthermore, rain in a place away from the city hydro system will act as a source of clean water for daily uses (rain=good).
11	Environment	No. of Sunny Days (no clouds)	Number of days in a year it usually stays sunny	Medium	https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Australia/Cities/sunshine-annual-average.php	Ties into the above rainfall stats. High rainfall but lots of sunny days would be ideal. This variable canbe easily pair up with the rainfall variable.
12	Environment	Tempreture range	Measures the average range of temperature in a specific time of the year	Medium	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Australia	Hursh winter or summer requires more preparation and resource for living. These can impact economically also discourage the occupant to stay in the place
13	Environment	Wind speed	Average wind velosity of the are in different season	High		After solar, the wind is considered a widespread energy source for living off-grid. Wind can be utilized to produce extra energy and store it when solar is not generating enough power to satisfy the energy need.
14	Feasiblity	Growing crops	Growing own food in the aquired land	Medium		Soil fertility and natural conditions that foster crop growth is always a plus for promoting self dependency while living away from the conventional market system
15	Feasiblity	Natural resoirces (forest, waters etc.)		Low
16	Feasiblity	Population density	Density of people living in the rural sattlements	Low
17	Hazard	Flooding threat	Historical data about food frequency and flood levels for the area	Medium	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods_in_Australia	Frequently flood-affected places should be avoided. Otherwise, there is a strong chance of facing flood-related troubles often.
18	Emergency services	There is sometimes emergency (health, fire hazard, natural/ man-made disasters etc.) that could appear and require emergency assistance from external service providers. number of hospitals and fire station for unit of people	Historical data about food frequency and flood levels for the area	Low		If the area specifically has a history of natural disasters, it's always good to check for a location with good community support and access to emergency services.
19	Hazard	Weather issues/ Diseaster Index	Stability of the weather and chances of happening extreme weather events. The Disaster Risk Index (DRI) is aimed at assessing the average risk of death per country in large and medium-scale disasters associated with earthquakes, tropical cyclones, and floods.	High	https://www.preventionweb.net/files/72869_sodrrpublicationready07082019.pdf	How frequent and any chances of extreme weather events in that area will reduce the feasibility of selecting the place for long-term off-grid living.
20	Hazard	Violance/crime rate	The rate of crime in the particular state both in cities and outside of cities	Medium	https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/recorded-crime-victims/latest-release#northern-territory	The crime rate of a state, if data available for both cities and outside of the cities of that state, will represent facts about safety considerations while living outside the city surveillanc system2.

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Weight	Max value	Min value	Best
1	Cost	Cost of land	3	10930	2569	Min
2	Cost	Average cost of Electricity (c/kWh)	2	38.96	22.2	Min
3	Cost	Zoning and property tax
4	Cost	living cost (average monthly cost)	1	3650	2600	Min
5	Energy and water incentive	Current rebates for solar installlation (rebate for e 6 kWh system)	3	3157	2733	Max
6	Energy and water incentive	"Renewable power incentives (Rebates)"	3	3157	2733	Max
7	Energy and water incentive	Rainwater rebate	3	3157	2733	Max
8	Environment	Daily sunshine hours	3	3157	2733	Max
9	Environment	Rainfall	3	3157	2733	Max
10	Environment	No. of Sunny Days (no clouds)	3	3157	2733	Max
11	Environment	Tempreture range	3	3157	2733	Max
12	Environment	Wind speed	3	3157	2733	Max
13	Feasiblity	Growing crops	3	3157	2733	Max
14	Feasiblity	Natural resoirces (forest, waters etc.)	3	3157	2733	Max
15	Feasiblity	Population density	3	3157	2733	Max
16	Hazard	Flooding threat	3	3157	2733	Max
17	Emergency services	There is sometimes emergency (health, fire hazard, natural/ man-made disasters etc.) that could appear and require emergency assistance from external service providers. number of hospitals and fire station for unit of people	3	3157	2733	Max
18	Hazard	Weather issues/ Diseaster Index	3	3157	2733	Max
19	Hazard	Violance/crime rate	3	3157	2733	Max

	Catagory	Possible Variables	Weight	Max value	Min value	Best
1	Australian Capital Territory	22.81	7	2	14	Min
2	New South Wales	26.53	4	2	8	Min
3	Northern Territory	24.23	6	2	12	Min
4	South Australia	35.32	8	4	16	Min
5	Tasmania	26.59	3	2	6	Min
6	Western Australia	38.96	1	2	2	Min

	States	Growth from last year (%)	Average 5 year annual growth(%)	Average price of per hectare land	Rank	Weight	Total value	Best
1	Western Australia	28.2	7.2	2569	7	3	21	min
2	Queensland	15.7	4.9	4650	6	3	18	min
3	South Australia	18.4	10.5	4943	5	3	15	min
4	South Australia	35.32	8	4	16	Min
5	New South Wales	17.2	11.1	5066	4	3	12	Min
6	Australian Capital Territory			5907	3	3	9	Min
7	Northern territory			5907	3	3	9	Min
8	Victoria	12.1	9.1	7587	2	3	6	Min
9	Tasmania	11.1	7.2	10930	1	3	3	Min

Variables
Metrics
Electricity Price
Land Prices
Living Cost
Rebates & Solar System
Battery Rebates
Cloudy Days
Sunny Days
Daily Sunshine Hours
Rainfall
Waterbodies
Temperature

Expand

Energy and water Incentives

This part of the study looked at the best government incentives for solar panels, battery storage, and rainwater tanks. The amount of government assistance in each state for getting set up with power and water was very important in this study. Other than purchasing a property, installing solar panels and a water tank are the next biggest expenses. Victoria and Tasmania were clear winners here. Although their solar rebates were slightly lower than other states, they had very generous water tank rebates which tipped them over the edge.

Set up and living costs

If you are looking to start over and want to purchase land, we took into account the cost per acre, ongoing living cost, and average cost of electricity in that area. All three will give us a good insight into the overall living costs of a state. Everyone’s idea of going off-grid is different. Some just see it as going off the electrical grid and still living in the suburbs, while others really lean into it by growing their own food, collecting rainwater, and being fully self-sufficient.

Environmental factors

This part of the study looks at environmental factors which could make or break you including the number of sunshine hours for generating power, temperature range, and average rainfall for growing crops. We wanted to be thorough and cater the study towards those looking to go full-tilt with their off-grid adventure.

Feasibility

Feasibility rank takes the state’s potential of growing crops, the portion of natural resources ( e.g. forest, water bodies), and privacy (e.g. population density). Queensland held the top position in our feasibility rank and found the Australian capital territory less feasible.

Hazard Safety

Some states are more prone to natural disasters such as regular flooding and animal/ insect plagues while others are simply unlivable during the height of summer. We also took into account emergency services and crime rates.

Methodology and metrics

We ranked 6 Australian states and 2 Territories based on 5 categories consisting of 18 variables. We weighted the variables between 1 to 3 where 1 indicates low, and 3 is premier in influence on the off-grid living. Based on the variable value, we classified the states in order and multiplied them with the weight to get the score for a state/territory.

Category	Variables	Weight	Max value	Min value	Best
Cost	Cost of land (per hectare)	3	10930	2569	Min
	The average cost of Electricity (c/kWh)	2	38.96	22.2	Min
	Zoning and property tax
	living cost (average monthly cost)	1	3650	2600	Min
Energy and water incentive	Current rebates for solar installation (rebate for e 6 kWh system)	3	3157	2733	Max
	Rebates for solar batteries ( incentive as rebate and loans)	3	6000	0	Max
	Renewable power incentives (Rebates)
	Rainwater rebate	3	1000	220	Max
Environment	Sunshine hours (annual sunshine hours)	3	3212	2037	Max
	Rainfall (in mm)	3	1295.2	222.2	Max
	No. of Sunny Days (#of sunny days in a year)	3	272	185	Max
	Warm days ( # of days <35 C in a year)	1	67	2	Min
	wind speed (average yearly wind speed MPH)	1	12.7	6.95	Max
Feasibility	Growing crops (% of total crop production)	2	26%	1%	Max
	Natural resources (% of forest)	1	65%	9%	Max
	Population density (# of person per sq km)	2	0.18	171	Min
Hazard safety	Flooding threat (# of major recorded flood from 1806)	2	12	2	Min
	Emergency services (# of hospital per 1000 person)	1	20.72	0.98	Max
	Weather issues/ Disaster Index (% of land in low resilience zone)	2	37%	99.40%	Min
	Security against violence/crime (Offenders per 100,000)	2	3848	648	Min

Data source: Australia State of the Environment, The Emigration Group Ltd, Living in Australia, Statista, Current Results, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, WorldAtlas, Australian Bureau of Statistics, prevention web, GoSolarQuotes, Electricity monster.

Supports for off-grid living in Australia

Interest and attention on off-grid living are on the rise in Australia. Even though living off-grid is recognized as a simpler way of living, the steps of getting out of a gridded lifestyle to settling down away from modern networks are always a challenge. Luckily Australia has communities and helping groups to alleviate the challenges of your transition, saving your experience from being wretched.

Off-grid communities

Aldinga Arts EcoVillage (AAEV) Focuses on permaculture, environmental sustainability, and arts. Being a cohesive community, AAEV considers people as their most valuable resource. The community offers tons of group activities and small projects.

Witchcliffe Ecovillage (WEV) is a new initiative in Western Australia which took 10 years of planning and proved to be very affordable. WEV focuses on reducing the carbon footprint of the daily activity of settlers. Furthermore, WEV arranges regular workshops on managing waste, food harvesting, and reducing carbon footprint.

Energy

GoSolarQuotes is working on the thrust of achieving self-sufficiency and renewability in the energy sector. In the competitive solar energy market, GoSolarQuotes facilitate education and enable the matching of prices from different contractors for your project.

Housing

Tiny Homes Foundation (THF) is committed to providing environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable housing solutions. Tiny Homes Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing socially, ecologically, and financially sustainable affordable housing solutions. THF aims to provide priority housing to people who are at risk of homelessness and provide housing support and services to disadvantaged youths.

Farming

FB group

WWOOFers provides volunteering opportunities for organic farmers to understand the culture, educate people about growing crops and promote sustainability in agriculture.

Off-Grid Living: Prepping to Live Off the Grid is a vibrant group with 169.0 k off-grid enthusiastic people worldwide. This Facebook group is an excellent way of connecting with same-minded people who constantly share their experiences, challenges, and sorting out.

Author: Bidhan has a Masters of Science in Environmental Science and Management from The University of British Columbia and a Doctorate in Philosophy. He is a sustainability enthusiast and a contributor to many print and online publications.