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Hawaii vs New Mexico

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

Rank #46

Overall Score

52.3

Category Wins

6/10

Rank #41
Overall Winner

Overall Score

61.1

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.27%
Property Tax
0.8%
187
Cost of Living
97
$8,500
Farm Land $/Acre
$1,250
365 days
Growing Season
200 days
450"
Annual Rainfall
24"
6/10
Soil Quality
5/10
8/10
Safety (Rural)
5/10
2/10
Gun Friendly
8/10
5.5 hrs
Solar (PSH)
5.9 hrs
82%
Broadband
75%

New Mexico Edges Out Hawaii Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 61.1 vs 52.3, New Mexico 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: New Mexico offers cheaper farmland at $1,250/acre vs $8,500/acre. Hawaii has a longer growing season (365 vs 200 days). Hawaii has lower property taxes (0.27% vs 0.8%).

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 PointHawaii
HI
New Mexico
NM
Taxes & Cost
YesYes
8.75%5.9%
4.5%8.09%
0.27%0.8%
18797
Land & Building
$8,500$1,250
Yes (Statewide)Yes (Statewide)
No Statewide CodePermitted with local approval; zoning permissive in many areas
Climate & Growing
10a-13a4b-10a
365200
450"24"
65
78
13
Water & Energy
Allowed with LimitsPermitted
5.55.9
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
MediumMinimal
28
ModerateStrong
NoPermitted for raw milk operations with licensing
NoYes
Safety & Healthcare
271742
50%52%
Demographics & Community
211.817
8%28%
82%75%
Business
#42#34
$150/yr$0/yr
3.1%4.3%

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