Maine vs Vermont

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

Maine

Rank #9

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.9

Category Wins

7/10

Vermont

Rank #33

Overall Score

62.9

Category Wins

3/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.24%

Property Tax

2.1%

108.4

Cost of Living

117

$3,200

Farm Land $/Acre

$7,500

160 days

Growing Season

130 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

56"

5/10

Soil Quality

6/10

10/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

8/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

4 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.7 hrs

80%

Broadband

82%

Maine Edges Out Vermont Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.9 vs 62.9, Maine 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: Maine offers cheaper farmland at $3,200/acre vs $7,500/acre. Maine has a longer growing season (160 vs 130 days). Maine has lower property taxes (1.24% 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	Maine ME	Vermont VT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	7.15%	8.75%
	5.5%	6%
	1.24%	2.1%
	108.4	117
Land & Building
	$3,200	$7,500
	Partial	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	Permitted with local approval; ADU-friendly policies
Climate & Growing
	3b-6a	2b-4b
	160	130
	48"	56"
	5	6
	2	2
	1	1
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4	3.7
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	High
	8	7
	Strong	Very strong
	Yes (Retail Sales)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	112	155
	25%	28%
Demographics & Community
	44.2	68
	61%	68%
	80%	82%
Business
	#38	#44
	$175/yr	$125/yr
	3%	3.1%

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