ID
Overall Score
Category Wins
3/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Texas Edges Out Idaho Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 72.1 vs 72.0, Texas 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: Texas offers cheaper farmland at $2,970/acre vs $4,180/acre. Texas has a longer growing season (300 vs 160 days). Idaho has lower property taxes (0.63% vs 1.6%).
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 | Texas TX |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | No | |
| 5.3% | — | |
| 6.02% | 8.2% | |
| 0.63% | 1.6% | |
| 95.3 | 92.1 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $4,180 | $2,970 | |
| No Statewide Code | No Statewide Code | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Varies | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 3b-7b | 6b-10a | |
| 160 | 300 | |
| 25" | 55" | |
| 9 | 6 | |
| 5 | 7 | |
| 1 | 6 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Allowed with Limits | Unrestricted | |
| 4.92 | 5.25 | |
| Yes | No | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| None | None | |
| 10 | 10 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Yes (Retail Sales) | Yes (Farm Sales Only) | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 237 | 450 | |
| 30% | 50% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 23.5 | 113 | |
| 30% | 15% | |
| 82% | 88% | |
| Business | ||
| #11 | #7 | |
| $100/yr | $300/yr | |
| 2.9% | 4% | |
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