Overall Score
Category Wins
5/10
NV
Overall Score
Category Wins
5/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Iowa Edges Out Nevada Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 65.8 vs 62.0, Iowa 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: Nevada offers cheaper farmland at $1,650/acre vs $10,400/acre. Nevada has a longer growing season (210 vs 175 days). Nevada has lower property taxes (0.6% 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 | Nevada NV |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | No | |
| 3.9% | — | |
| 6.94% | 8.23% | |
| 1.52% | 0.6% | |
| 89.3 | 103 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $10,400 | $1,650 | |
| Partial | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Varies | Permitted with zoning approval; increasingly allowed in some jurisdictions | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 4b-5b | 4a-10a | |
| 175 | 210 | |
| 38" | 20" | |
| 10 | 5 | |
| 4 | 9 | |
| 6 | 2 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Permitted | |
| 4.3 | 5.9 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Medium | Minimal | |
| 8 | 9 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Yes (Farm Sales Only) | Illegal for human consumption | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 300 | 592 | |
| 28% | 45% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 57.2 | 27 | |
| 36% | 15% | |
| 87% | 82% | |
| Business | ||
| #28 | #11 | |
| $50/yr | $75/yr | |
| 2.8% | 4.2% | |
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