Iowa vs Vermont

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

Iowa

Rank #23

Overall Winner

Overall Score

65.8

Category Wins

7/10

Vermont

Rank #33

Overall Score

62.9

Category Wins

2/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.52%

Property Tax

2.1%

89.3

Cost of Living

117

$10,400

Farm Land $/Acre

$7,500

175 days

Growing Season

130 days

38"

Annual Rainfall

56"

10/10

Soil Quality

6/10

9/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

8/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

4.3 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.7 hrs

87%

Broadband

82%

Iowa Edges Out Vermont Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 65.8 vs 62.9, 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: Vermont offers cheaper farmland at $7,500/acre vs $10,400/acre. Iowa has a longer growing season (175 vs 130 days). Iowa has lower property taxes (1.52% vs 2.1%).

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 Point	Iowa IA	Vermont VT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	3.9%	8.75%
	6.94%	6%
	1.52%	2.1%
	89.3	117
Land & Building
	$10,400	$7,500
	Partial	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	Permitted with local approval; ADU-friendly policies
Climate & Growing
	4b-5b	2b-4b
	175	130
	38"	56"
	10	6
	4	2
	6	1
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.3	3.7
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	High
	8	7
	Strong	Very strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	300	155
	28%	28%
Demographics & Community
	57.2	68
	36%	68%
	87%	82%
Business
	#28	#44
	$50/yr	$125/yr
	2.8%	3.1%

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