Maine vs North Dakota
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
Overall Score
Category Wins
3/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Maine Edges Out North Dakota Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 69.9 vs 69.5, Maine 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: North Dakota offers cheaper farmland at $1,750/acre vs $3,200/acre. Maine has a longer growing season (160 vs 140 days). North Dakota has lower property taxes (0.98% vs 1.24%).
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 | Maine ME | North Dakota ND |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 7.15% | 2.5% | |
| 5.5% | 7.87% | |
| 1.24% | 0.98% | |
| 108.4 | 96 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $3,200 | $1,750 | |
| Partial | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Varies | Permitted with local approval; generally allowed | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 3b-6a | 3a-4a | |
| 160 | 140 | |
| 48" | 22" | |
| 5 | 9 | |
| 2 | 6 | |
| 1 | 5 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Permitted | |
| 4 | 4 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Medium | Minimal | |
| 8 | 9 | |
| Strong | Very strong | |
| Yes (Retail Sales) | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 112 | 284 | |
| 25% | 38% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 44.2 | 11 | |
| 61% | 40% | |
| 80% | 83% | |
| Business | ||
| #38 | #9 | |
| $175/yr | $125/yr | |
| 3% | 2.1% | |
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