Maryland vs Pennsylvania

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

Maryland

Rank #45

Overall Score

54.6

Category Wins

4/10

Pennsylvania

Rank #36

Overall Winner

Overall Score

62.1

Category Wins

5/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.05%

Property Tax

1.58%

116.2

Cost of Living

100

$9,200

Farm Land $/Acre

$6,800

230 days

Growing Season

180 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

54"

6/10

Soil Quality

7/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

4.3 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.8 hrs

93%

Broadband

85%

Pennsylvania Edges Out Maryland Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 62.1 vs 54.6, Pennsylvania comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 5 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: Pennsylvania offers cheaper farmland at $6,800/acre vs $9,200/acre. Maryland has a longer growing season (230 vs 180 days). Maryland has lower property taxes (1.05% vs 1.58%).

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	Pennsylvania PA
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	5.75%	3.07%
	6%	6.34%
	1.05%	1.58%
	116.2	100
Land & Building
	$9,200	$6,800
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	No Statewide Code	Zoning-dependent; increasingly allowed in some municipalities
Climate & Growing
	6a-8a	5a-7a
	230	180
	48"	54"
	6	7
	2	3
	2	3
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.3	3.8
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	High
	2	7
	Moderate	Strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	454	421
	20%	43%
Demographics & Community
	636	297
	13%	18%
	93%	85%
Business
	#46	#33
	$100/yr	$125/yr
	3.5%	3.9%

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