Maryland vs Rhode Island

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

Maryland

Rank #45

Overall Winner

Overall Score

54.6

Category Wins

5/10

Rhode Island

Rank #50

Overall Score

39.9

Category Wins

3/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.05%

Property Tax

1.63%

116.2

Cost of Living

123

$9,200

Farm Land $/Acre

$18,300

230 days

Growing Season

190 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

50"

6/10

Soil Quality

6/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

3/10

4.3 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.9 hrs

93%

Broadband

97%

Maryland Edges Out Rhode Island Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 54.6 vs 39.9, Maryland 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: Maryland offers cheaper farmland at $9,200/acre vs $18,300/acre. Maryland has a longer growing season (230 vs 190 days). Maryland has lower property taxes (1.05% vs 1.63%).

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	Rhode Island RI
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	5.75%	5.99%
	6%	7%
	1.05%	1.63%
	116.2	123
Land & Building
	$9,200	$18,300
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	No Statewide Code	Largely prohibited by zoning; ADU-friendly policies limited
Climate & Growing
	6a-8a	6a-6b
	230	190
	48"	50"
	6	6
	2	3
	2	2
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.3	3.9
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	High
	2	3
	Moderate	Weak
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Illegal for human consumption
	Yes	No
Safety & Healthcare
	454	349
	20%	20%
Demographics & Community
	636	1,003
	13%	10%
	93%	97%
Business
	#46	#45
	$100/yr	$150/yr
	3.5%	3.6%

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