Hawaii vs South Dakota

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

Hawaii

Rank #46

Overall Score

52.3

Category Wins

5/10

South Dakota

Rank #11

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.6

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.27%

Property Tax

0.84%

187

Cost of Living

$8,500

Farm Land $/Acre

$1,950

365 days

Growing Season

160 days

450"

Annual Rainfall

28"

6/10

Soil Quality

9/10

8/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

5.5 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.1 hrs

82%

Broadband

81%

South Dakota Edges Out Hawaii Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.6 vs 52.3, South Dakota 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: South Dakota offers cheaper farmland at $1,950/acre vs $8,500/acre. Hawaii has a longer growing season (365 vs 160 days). Hawaii has lower property taxes (0.27% vs 0.84%).

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	South Dakota SD
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	No
	8.75%	—
	4.5%	7.33%
	0.27%	0.84%
	187	94
Land & Building
	$8,500	$1,950
	Yes (Statewide)	No (Local Adoption)
	No Statewide Code	Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common
Climate & Growing
	10a-13a	3a-5a
	365	160
	450"	28"
	6	9
	7	6
	1	6
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Permitted
	5.5	4.1
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	Minimal
	2	9
	Moderate	Very strong
	No	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	No	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	271	348
	50%	42%
Demographics & Community
	211.8	11
	8%	44%
	82%	81%
Business
	#42	#12
	$150/yr	$150/yr
	3.1%	2.7%

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