Massachusetts vs Vermont

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

Massachusetts

Rank #47

Overall Score

50.8

Category Wins

4/10

Vermont

Rank #33

Overall Winner

Overall Score

62.9

Category Wins

6/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.15%

Property Tax

2.1%

131.6

Cost of Living

117

$13,500

Farm Land $/Acre

$7,500

200 days

Growing Season

130 days

50"

Annual Rainfall

56"

5/10

Soil Quality

6/10

8/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

1/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

4.05 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.7 hrs

95%

Broadband

82%

Vermont Edges Out Massachusetts Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 62.9 vs 50.8, Vermont 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: Vermont offers cheaper farmland at $7,500/acre vs $13,500/acre. Massachusetts has a longer growing season (200 vs 130 days). Massachusetts has lower property taxes (1.15% 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	Massachusetts MA	Vermont VT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	9%	8.75%
	6.25%	6%
	1.15%	2.1%
	131.6	117
Land & Building
	$13,500	$7,500
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	No Statewide Code	Permitted with local approval; ADU-friendly policies
Climate & Growing
	5b-7a	2b-4b
	200	130
	50"	56"
	5	6
	2	2
	1	1
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.05	3.7
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	High	High
	1	7
	Moderate	Very strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	327	155
	15%	28%
Demographics & Community
	901.2	68
	8%	68%
	95%	82%
Business
	#34	#44
	$500/yr	$125/yr
	3.5%	3.1%

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