Hawaii vs Kentucky

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

Hawaii

Rank #46

Overall Score

52.3

Category Wins

4/10

Kentucky

Rank #5

Overall Winner

Overall Score

71.3

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.27%

Property Tax

0.83%

187

Cost of Living

86.3

$8,500

Farm Land $/Acre

$4,800

365 days

Growing Season

210 days

450"

Annual Rainfall

50"

6/10

Soil Quality

8/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

5.5 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.25 hrs

82%

Broadband

82%

Kentucky Edges Out Hawaii Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 71.3 vs 52.3, Kentucky 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: Kentucky offers cheaper farmland at $4,800/acre vs $8,500/acre. Hawaii has a longer growing season (365 vs 210 days). Hawaii has lower property taxes (0.27% vs 0.83%).

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	Hawaii HI	Kentucky KY
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	8.75%	4%
	4.5%	6%
	0.27%	0.83%
	187	86.3
Land & Building
	$8,500	$4,800
	Yes (Statewide)	Partial
	No Statewide Code	Varies
Climate & Growing
	10a-13a	6a-7b
	365	210
	450"	50"
	6	8
	7	2
	1	4
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Unrestricted
	5.5	4.25
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	Low
	2	9
	Moderate	Strong
	No	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	No	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	271	250
	50%	38%
Demographics & Community
	211.8	114.1
	8%	42%
	82%	82%
Business
	#42	#23
	$150/yr	$40/yr
	3.1%	4%

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