Maryland vs North Dakota

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

Maryland

Rank #45

Overall Score

54.6

Category Wins

4/10

North Dakota

Rank #12

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.5

Category Wins

6/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.05%

Property Tax

0.98%

116.2

Cost of Living

$9,200

Farm Land $/Acre

$1,750

230 days

Growing Season

140 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

22"

6/10

Soil Quality

9/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

4.3 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4 hrs

93%

Broadband

83%

North Dakota Edges Out Maryland Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.5 vs 54.6, North Dakota 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 $9,200/acre. Maryland has a longer growing season (230 vs 140 days). North Dakota has lower property taxes (0.98% vs 1.05%).

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	Maryland MD	North Dakota ND
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	5.75%	2.5%
	6%	7.87%
	1.05%	0.98%
	116.2	96
Land & Building
	$9,200	$1,750
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	No Statewide Code	Permitted with local approval; generally allowed
Climate & Growing
	6a-8a	3a-4a
	230	140
	48"	22"
	6	9
	2	6
	2	5
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.3	4
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	Minimal
	2	9
	Moderate	Very strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	454	284
	20%	38%
Demographics & Community
	636	11
	13%	40%
	93%	83%
Business
	#46	#9
	$100/yr	$125/yr
	3.5%	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