Colorado vs Pennsylvania

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

Colorado

Rank #25

Overall Winner

Overall Score

65.1

Category Wins

6/10

Pennsylvania

Rank #36

Overall Score

62.1

Category Wins

2/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.51%

Property Tax

1.58%

108

Cost of Living

100

$2,850

Farm Land $/Acre

$6,800

180 days

Growing Season

180 days

60"

Annual Rainfall

54"

6/10

Soil Quality

7/10

8/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

5.3 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.8 hrs

87%

Broadband

85%

Colorado Edges Out Pennsylvania Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 65.1 vs 62.1, Colorado 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: Colorado offers cheaper farmland at $2,850/acre vs $6,800/acre. Colorado has lower property taxes (0.51% vs 1.58%). Pennsylvania is more affordable with a cost of living index of 100 vs 108.

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	Colorado CO	Pennsylvania PA
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	4.63%	3.07%
	7.65%	6.34%
	0.51%	1.58%
	108	100
Land & Building
	$2,850	$6,800
	No (Local Adoption)	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	Zoning-dependent; increasingly allowed in some municipalities
Climate & Growing
	4a-7b	5a-7a
	180	180
	60"	54"
	6	7
	8	3
	4	3
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Permitted
	5.3	3.8
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	High
	7	7
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	407	421
	48%	43%
Demographics & Community
	48.51	297
	15%	18%
	87%	85%
Business
	#32	#33
	$50/yr	$125/yr
	2.9%	3.9%

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