California vs Kansas

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

California

Rank #40

Overall Score

61.3

Category Wins

5/10

Kansas

Rank #24

Overall Winner

Overall Score

65.4

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.76%

Property Tax

1.33%

138

Cost of Living

88.5

$5,800

Farm Land $/Acre

$2,970

365 days

Growing Season

200 days

100"

Annual Rainfall

42"

7/10

Soil Quality

7/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

5.5 hrs

Solar (PSH)

5 hrs

91%

Broadband

82%

Kansas Edges Out California Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 65.4 vs 61.3, Kansas 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: Kansas offers cheaper farmland at $2,970/acre vs $5,800/acre. California has a longer growing season (365 vs 200 days). California has lower property taxes (0.76% vs 1.33%).

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	California CA	Kansas KS
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	13.3%	5.58%
	8.625%	8.71%
	0.76%	1.33%
	138	88.5
Land & Building
	$5,800	$2,970
	Yes (Statewide)	Partial
	Varies	Varies
Climate & Growing
	8a-10b	5b-7a
	365	200
	100"	42"
	7	7
	8	6
	1	8
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Unrestricted
	5.5	5
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Low
	2	9
	Moderate	Strong
	Yes (Retail Sales)	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	447	425
	35%	40%
Demographics & Community
	253.61	35.9
	5%	26%
	91%	82%
Business
	#48	#25
	$70/yr	$165/yr
	3.7%	3%

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