Idaho vs Montana

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

Idaho

Rank #3

Overall Winner

Overall Score

72.0

Category Wins

6/10

Montana

Rank #32

Overall Score

63.6

Category Wins

3/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.63%

Property Tax

0.74%

95.3

Cost of Living

$4,180

Farm Land $/Acre

$1,230

160 days

Growing Season

130 days

25"

Annual Rainfall

20"

9/10

Soil Quality

5/10

10/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

10/10

Gun Friendly

10/10

4.92 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.93 hrs

82%

Broadband

70%

Idaho Edges Out Montana Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 72.0 vs 63.6, Idaho 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: Montana offers cheaper farmland at $1,230/acre vs $4,180/acre. Idaho has a longer growing season (160 vs 130 days). Idaho has lower property taxes (0.63% vs 0.74%).

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	Idaho ID	Montana MT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	5.3%	5.9%
	6.02%	0%
	0.63%	0.74%
	95.3	95
Land & Building
	$4,180	$1,230
	No Statewide Code	No Statewide Code
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
Climate & Growing
	3b-7b	3a-6b
	160	130
	25"	20"
	9	5
	5	6
	1	1
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Allowed with Limits
	4.92	4.93
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	None	Low
	10	10
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Retail Sales)	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	237	420
	30%	35%
Demographics & Community
	23.5	7.6
	30%	45%
	82%	70%
Business
	#11	#5
	$100/yr	$35/yr
	2.9%	2.8%

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