Overall Score
Category Wins
2/10
KS
Overall Score
Category Wins
7/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Iowa Edges Out Kansas Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 65.8 vs 65.4, Iowa 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: Kansas offers cheaper farmland at $2,970/acre vs $10,400/acre. Kansas has a longer growing season (200 vs 175 days). Kansas has lower property taxes (1.33% 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 | Iowa IA | Kansas KS |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 3.9% | 5.58% | |
| 6.94% | 8.71% | |
| 1.52% | 1.33% | |
| 89.3 | 88.5 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $10,400 | $2,970 | |
| Partial | Partial | |
| Varies | Varies | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 4b-5b | 5b-7a | |
| 175 | 200 | |
| 38" | 42" | |
| 10 | 7 | |
| 4 | 6 | |
| 6 | 8 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Unrestricted | |
| 4.3 | 5 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Medium | Low | |
| 8 | 9 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Yes (Farm Sales Only) | Yes (Farm Sales Only) | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 300 | 425 | |
| 28% | 40% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 57.2 | 35.9 | |
| 36% | 26% | |
| 87% | 82% | |
| Business | ||
| #28 | #25 | |
| $50/yr | $165/yr | |
| 2.8% | 3% | |
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
Your brand here — Reach our audience of professional directory owners and boost your sales.