Study Reveals the Best Places to Live Off-Grid in Ireland

Whether it’s for sustainability or to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, there’s been an increase in people looking at how they can live an off-grid lifestyle, all over the World. With the current housing market constantly being in the news and the overwhelming pressures placed upon homeowners, Calor decided to conduct some research to reveal which counties in Ireland are the best to live off-grid.

They looked at various factors crucial to off-grid living, including square meters per population, hours of sunlight, property prices, land availability, local produce markets, and the quality of natural amenities. 

The true meaning of living off the grid is living without typical connections to public utilities like sewer, water, and electrical lines, however, living off-grid today usually entails living a minimalist, efficient, self-reliant lifestyle. This study created by Calor reflects which counties are best suited to people living a modern day, off-grid lifestyle.

The research revealed that Mayo is the best county to live off grid in Ireland. With a large volume of land per capita and competitive property prices as well as having the most amount of land for sale per capita and one of the best natural amenity scores in the research. This is what makes Mayo the most suitable county to live off-grid in Ireland. 

Here are the top five highest ranking counties:

Leitrim was revealed as the second-best county to live off-grid, this was down to high-ranking factors such as the most space per capita, most hours of sunlight, lower average property price and high natural amenities score as well as a good offering of local markets. The vast countryside with lakes and rivers that Leitrim has to offer solidified the counties place as one of the best places to live off-grid.

Rounding out the top three was Kerry which ranked highly for natural amenities, hours of sunlight and the most space per capita. Kerry is also a county that has an impressive countryside, it is home to Ireland’s highest mountains with beautiful scenery and plots of land for sale.

As Ireland's capital and largest city, it is no surprise that Dublin faces significant challenges for off-grid living. With dense urban development and limited available land, finding suitable spaces for off-grid living can be hard to find, however options are there if you look outside of the city, Malahide, with its beaches and greenspace offers great opportunities for off-grid living.

Meath also ranked in the bottom five, being next to Dublin city means that the county has seen an influx of people moving there which has driven up property prices in and around the city. Like Dublin, Meath has plenty of off-grid options if you look further afield. Towns like Kells and Trim have a lot of greenspace and suitable locations for off-grid living.

In conclusion, the research reveals some valuable insights on where the best counties to live off-grid in Ireland are. Mayo, Leitrim, and Kerry were the top three with Dublin, Kildare and Meath ranking in the bottom three. To live an off-grid lifestyle, hours of sunlight, quality of greenspace and number of local markets are some of the key factors you need to think about as these allow you to live a truly off-grid and sustainable life. Although the rankings were based on county-wide data there are many towns within each county in Ireland that should be considered as options when beginning an off-grid lifestyle. It is important to note that no matter which county you live in, there are laws and regulations surrounding local planning and building which will impact off-grid living. These need to be considered when you are looking to switch to an off-grid lifestyle.

“Embracing off-grid living provides a break from urban stress and empowers sustainable living. Our recent research highlights Mayo as a top destination in Ireland for this lifestyle”– Louise Carrick, Head of Marketing & CX at Calor