AK
Overall Score
Category Wins
4/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Iowa Edges Out Alaska Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 65.8 vs 55.6, Iowa comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 6 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.
Key differences: Alaska offers cheaper farmland at $2,800/acre vs $10,400/acre. Iowa has a longer growing season (175 vs 140 days). Alaska has lower property taxes (0.84% vs 1.52%).
Scroll down to the full comparison table for a deep dive into every metric, or use our ranking tool to weight these factors by what matters most to you.
Full Data Comparison
| Data Point | Alaska AK | Iowa IA |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| No | Yes | |
| — | 3.9% | |
| 4.2% | 6.94% | |
| 0.84% | 1.52% | |
| 131 | 89.3 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $2,800 | $10,400 | |
| Partial | Partial | |
| Varies | Varies | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 1a-8b | 4b-5b | |
| 140 | 175 | |
| 200" | 38" | |
| 4 | 10 | |
| 3 | 4 | |
| 1 | 6 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Unrestricted | |
| 3.2 | 4.3 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Low | Medium | |
| 10 | 8 | |
| Moderate | Strong | |
| Herd Share Only | Yes (Farm Sales Only) | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 687 | 300 | |
| 60% | 28% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 1.27 | 57.2 | |
| 83% | 36% | |
| 65% | 87% | |
| Business | ||
| #5 | #28 | |
| $250/yr | $50/yr | |
| 3.9% | 2.8% | |
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