Arizona vs Montana

Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more

Arizona

Rank #8

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.9

Category Wins

5/10

Montana

Rank #32

Overall Score

63.6

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.62%

Property Tax

0.74%

103

Cost of Living

$2,200

Farm Land $/Acre

$1,230

365 days

Growing Season

130 days

45"

Annual Rainfall

20"

5/10

Soil Quality

5/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

10/10

6.8 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.93 hrs

86%

Broadband

70%

Arizona Edges Out Montana Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.9 vs 63.6, Arizona comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 5 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: Montana offers cheaper farmland at $1,230/acre vs $2,200/acre. Arizona has a longer growing season (365 vs 130 days). Arizona has lower property taxes (0.62% vs 0.74%).

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

Side-by-side comparison of selected states across homesteading metrics
Data Point	Arizona AZ	Montana MT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	2.5%	5.9%
	8.5%	0%
	0.62%	0.74%
	103	95
Land & Building
	$2,200	$1,230
	No (Local Adoption)	No Statewide Code
	Varies	Yes (Statewide)
Climate & Growing
	4b-10a	3a-6b
	365	130
	45"	20"
	5	5
	9	6
	2	1
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Allowed with Limits
	6.8	4.93
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Low
	9	10
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	496	420
	50%	35%
Demographics & Community
	57.05	7.6
	13%	45%
	86%	70%
Business
	#15	#5
	$50/yr	$35/yr
	3.1%	2.8%

Not sure which state is right for you?

Use our free ranking tool to score all 50 states based on your personal priorities — from land prices and taxes to climate and community.

Rank States by Your Priorities