Arkansas vs Pennsylvania
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
Overall Score
Category Wins
7/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
3/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Arkansas Edges Out Pennsylvania Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 70.9 vs 62.1, Arkansas comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 7 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.
Key differences: Arkansas offers cheaper farmland at $3,500/acre vs $6,800/acre. Arkansas has a longer growing season (230 vs 180 days). Arkansas has lower property taxes (0.61% 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
| Data Point | Arkansas AR | Pennsylvania PA |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 3.9% | 3.07% | |
| 9.47% | 6.34% | |
| 0.61% | 1.58% | |
| 84.8 | 100 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $3,500 | $6,800 | |
| Partial | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Varies | Zoning-dependent; increasingly allowed in some municipalities | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 6b-8a | 5a-7a | |
| 230 | 180 | |
| 55" | 54" | |
| 6 | 7 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Permitted | |
| 4.65 | 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 | ||
| 579 | 421 | |
| 50% | 43% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 58.4 | 297 | |
| 44% | 18% | |
| 75% | 85% | |
| Business | ||
| #36 | #33 | |
| $45/yr | $125/yr | |
| 3.6% | 3.9% | |
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