Overall Score
Category Wins
5/10
IA
Overall Score
Category Wins
5/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Idaho Edges Out Iowa Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 72.0 vs 65.8, Idaho 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: Idaho offers cheaper farmland at $4,180/acre vs $10,400/acre. Iowa has a longer growing season (175 vs 160 days). Idaho has lower property taxes (0.63% vs 1.52%).
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
| Data Point | Idaho ID | Iowa IA |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 5.3% | 3.9% | |
| 6.02% | 6.94% | |
| 0.63% | 1.52% | |
| 95.3 | 89.3 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $4,180 | $10,400 | |
| No Statewide Code | Partial | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Varies | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 3b-7b | 4b-5b | |
| 160 | 175 | |
| 25" | 38" | |
| 9 | 10 | |
| 5 | 4 | |
| 1 | 6 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Allowed with Limits | Unrestricted | |
| 4.92 | 4.3 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| None | Medium | |
| 10 | 8 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Yes (Retail Sales) | Yes (Farm Sales Only) | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 237 | 300 | |
| 30% | 28% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 23.5 | 57.2 | |
| 30% | 36% | |
| 82% | 87% | |
| Business | ||
| #11 | #28 | |
| $100/yr | $50/yr | |
| 2.9% | 2.8% | |
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