Skip to content
Submit

Arkansas vs West Virginia

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

Arkansas

AR

Rank #7
Overall Winner

Overall Score

70.9

Category Wins

4/10

West Virginia

WV

Rank #34

Overall Score

62.5

Category Wins

3/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.61%
Property Tax
0.57%
84.8
Cost of Living
83.2
$3,500
Farm Land $/Acre
$3,200
230 days
Growing Season
180 days
55"
Annual Rainfall
55"
6/10
Soil Quality
5/10
6/10
Safety (Rural)
6/10
9/10
Gun Friendly
9/10
4.65 hrs
Solar (PSH)
3.85 hrs
75%
Broadband
72%

Arkansas Edges Out West Virginia Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 70.9 vs 62.5, Arkansas comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 4 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: West Virginia offers cheaper farmland at $3,200/acre vs $3,500/acre. Arkansas has a longer growing season (230 vs 180 days). West Virginia 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 PointArkansas
AR
West Virginia
WV
Taxes & Cost
YesYes
3.9%5.12%
9.47%6.55%
0.61%0.57%
84.883.2
Land & Building
$3,500$3,200
PartialPartial
VariesVaries
Climate & Growing
6b-8a5b-7a
230180
55"55"
65
32
62
Water & Energy
UnrestrictedUnrestricted
4.653.85
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
LowMedium
99
StrongModerate
Yes (Farm Sales Only)Herd Share Only
YesYes
Safety & Healthcare
579315
50%45%
Demographics & Community
58.473.6
44%51%
75%72%
Business
#36#23
$45/yr$100/yr
3.6%4.5%

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