IA
Overall Score
Category Wins
4/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Utah Edges Out Iowa Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 66.6 vs 65.8, Utah 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: Utah offers cheaper farmland at $2,800/acre vs $10,400/acre. Utah has a longer growing season (180 vs 175 days). Utah 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 | Utah UT |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 3.9% | 4.65% | |
| 6.94% | 7.25% | |
| 1.52% | 0.6% | |
| 89.3 | 104 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $10,400 | $2,800 | |
| Partial | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Varies | Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowed | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 4b-5b | 4a-9a | |
| 175 | 180 | |
| 38" | 24" | |
| 10 | 6 | |
| 4 | 8 | |
| 6 | 2 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Permitted | |
| 4.3 | 5.5 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Medium | Minimal | |
| 8 | 9 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Yes (Farm Sales Only) | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 300 | 267 | |
| 28% | 38% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 57.2 | 38 | |
| 36% | 11% | |
| 87% | 88% | |
| Business | ||
| #28 | #16 | |
| $50/yr | $50/yr | |
| 2.8% | 2.9% | |
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