Arkansas vs Montana

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

Arkansas

Rank #7

Overall Winner

Overall Score

70.9

Category Wins

6/10

Montana

Rank #32

Overall Score

63.6

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.61%

Property Tax

0.74%

84.8

Cost of Living

$3,500

Farm Land $/Acre

$1,230

230 days

Growing Season

130 days

55"

Annual Rainfall

20"

6/10

Soil Quality

5/10

6/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

10/10

4.65 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.93 hrs

75%

Broadband

70%

Arkansas Edges Out Montana Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 70.9 vs 63.6, Arkansas 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: Montana offers cheaper farmland at $1,230/acre vs $3,500/acre. Arkansas has a longer growing season (230 vs 130 days). Arkansas has lower property taxes (0.61% 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	Arkansas AR	Montana MT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	3.9%	5.9%
	9.47%	0%
	0.61%	0.74%
	84.8	95
Land & Building
	$3,500	$1,230
	Partial	No Statewide Code
	Varies	Yes (Statewide)
Climate & Growing
	6b-8a	3a-6b
	230	130
	55"	20"
	6	5
	3	6
	6	1
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Allowed with Limits
	4.65	4.93
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Low
	9	10
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	579	420
	50%	35%
Demographics & Community
	58.4	7.6
	44%	45%
	75%	70%
Business
	#36	#5
	$45/yr	$35/yr
	3.6%	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