Arkansas vs South Carolina

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

Arkansas

Rank #7

Overall Winner

Overall Score

70.9

Category Wins

3/10

South Carolina

Rank #20

Overall Score

66.5

Category Wins

5/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.61%

Property Tax

0.57%

84.8

Cost of Living

$3,500

Farm Land $/Acre

$3,100

230 days

Growing Season

250 days

55"

Annual Rainfall

56"

6/10

Soil Quality

6/10

Safety (Rural)

6/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

8/10

4.65 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.5 hrs

75%

Broadband

79%

Arkansas Edges Out South Carolina Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 70.9 vs 66.5, Arkansas 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: South Carolina offers cheaper farmland at $3,100/acre vs $3,500/acre. South Carolina has a longer growing season (250 vs 230 days). South Carolina has lower property taxes (0.57% vs 0.61%).

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	South Carolina SC
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	3.9%	5.21%
	9.47%	7.5%
	0.61%	0.57%
	84.8	96
Land & Building
	$3,500	$3,100
	Partial	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common
Climate & Growing
	6b-8a	7b-9a
	230	250
	55"	56"
	6	6
	3	4
	6	4
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.65	4.5
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Minimal
	9	8
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	579	506
	50%	50%
Demographics & Community
	58.4	165
	44%	35%
	75%	79%
Business
	#36	#24
	$45/yr	$110/yr
	3.6%	3.6%

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