Arizona vs Pennsylvania

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

Arizona

Rank #8

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.9

Category Wins

6/10

Pennsylvania

Rank #36

Overall Score

62.1

Category Wins

3/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.62%

Property Tax

1.58%

103

Cost of Living

100

$2,200

Farm Land $/Acre

$6,800

365 days

Growing Season

180 days

45"

Annual Rainfall

54"

5/10

Soil Quality

7/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

6.8 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.8 hrs

86%

Broadband

85%

Arizona Edges Out Pennsylvania Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.9 vs 62.1, Arizona 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: Arizona offers cheaper farmland at $2,200/acre vs $6,800/acre. Arizona has a longer growing season (365 vs 180 days). Arizona has lower property taxes (0.62% vs 1.58%).

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	Pennsylvania PA
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	2.5%	3.07%
	8.5%	6.34%
	0.62%	1.58%
	103	100
Land & Building
	$2,200	$6,800
	No (Local Adoption)	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	Zoning-dependent; increasingly allowed in some municipalities
Climate & Growing
	4b-10a	5a-7a
	365	180
	45"	54"
	5	7
	9	3
	2	3
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Permitted
	6.8	3.8
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	High
	9	7
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	496	421
	50%	43%
Demographics & Community
	57.05	297
	13%	18%
	86%	85%
Business
	#15	#33
	$50/yr	$125/yr
	3.1%	3.9%

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