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Iowa vs West Virginia

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

Iowa

IA

Rank #23
Overall Winner

Overall Score

65.8

Category Wins

4/10

West Virginia

WV

Rank #34

Overall Score

62.5

Category Wins

6/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.52%
Property Tax
0.57%
89.3
Cost of Living
83.2
$10,400
Farm Land $/Acre
$3,200
175 days
Growing Season
180 days
38"
Annual Rainfall
55"
10/10
Soil Quality
5/10
9/10
Safety (Rural)
6/10
8/10
Gun Friendly
9/10
4.3 hrs
Solar (PSH)
3.85 hrs
87%
Broadband
72%

Iowa Edges Out West Virginia Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 65.8 vs 62.5, Iowa 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: West Virginia offers cheaper farmland at $3,200/acre vs $10,400/acre. West Virginia has a longer growing season (180 vs 175 days). West Virginia has lower property taxes (0.57% 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

Side-by-side comparison of selected states across homesteading metrics
Data PointIowa
IA
West Virginia
WV
Taxes & Cost
YesYes
3.9%5.12%
6.94%6.55%
1.52%0.57%
89.383.2
Land & Building
$10,400$3,200
PartialPartial
VariesVaries
Climate & Growing
4b-5b5b-7a
175180
38"55"
105
42
62
Water & Energy
UnrestrictedUnrestricted
4.33.85
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
MediumMedium
89
StrongModerate
Yes (Farm Sales Only)Herd Share Only
YesYes
Safety & Healthcare
300315
28%45%
Demographics & Community
57.273.6
36%51%
87%72%
Business
#28#23
$50/yr$100/yr
2.8%4.5%

Not sure which state is right for you?

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