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Idaho vs North Dakota

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

Idaho

ID

Rank #3
Overall Winner

Overall Score

72.0

Category Wins

7/10

North Dakota

ND

Rank #12

Overall Score

69.5

Category Wins

2/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.63%
Property Tax
0.98%
95.3
Cost of Living
96
$4,180
Farm Land $/Acre
$1,750
160 days
Growing Season
140 days
25"
Annual Rainfall
22"
9/10
Soil Quality
9/10
10/10
Safety (Rural)
9/10
10/10
Gun Friendly
9/10
4.92 hrs
Solar (PSH)
4 hrs
82%
Broadband
83%

Idaho Edges Out North Dakota Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 72.0 vs 69.5, Idaho comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 7 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: North Dakota offers cheaper farmland at $1,750/acre vs $4,180/acre. Idaho has a longer growing season (160 vs 140 days). Idaho has lower property taxes (0.63% vs 0.98%).

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 PointIdaho
ID
North Dakota
ND
Taxes & Cost
YesYes
5.3%2.5%
6.02%7.87%
0.63%0.98%
95.396
Land & Building
$4,180$1,750
No Statewide CodeYes (Statewide)
Yes (Statewide)Permitted with local approval; generally allowed
Climate & Growing
3b-7b3a-4a
160140
25"22"
99
56
15
Water & Energy
Allowed with LimitsPermitted
4.924
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
NoneMinimal
109
StrongVery strong
Yes (Retail Sales)Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
YesYes
Safety & Healthcare
237284
30%38%
Demographics & Community
23.511
30%40%
82%83%
Business
#11#9
$100/yr$125/yr
2.9%2.1%

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