Michigan vs Washington
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
MI
Overall Score
Category Wins
3/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Washington Edges Out Michigan Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 64.6 vs 62.4, Washington 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: Washington offers cheaper farmland at $4,700/acre vs $6,700/acre. Washington has a longer growing season (210 vs 190 days). Washington has lower property taxes (0.94% vs 1.38%).
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
| Data Point | Michigan MI | Washington WA |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | No | |
| 4.25% | — | |
| 6% | 9.22% | |
| 1.38% | 0.94% | |
| 91.5 | 112 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $6,700 | $4,700 | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Varies | Permitted with zoning approval; increasingly allowed | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 4a-6b | 8a-10a | |
| 190 | 210 | |
| 38" | 100" | |
| 6 | 7 | |
| 2 | 5 | |
| 3 | 1 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Permitted | |
| 3.9 | 3.8 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| None | Minimal | |
| 6 | 6 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Herd Share Only | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 478 | 388 | |
| 30% | 44% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 177.1 | 106 | |
| 25% | 17% | |
| 85% | 89% | |
| Business | ||
| #12 | #22 | |
| $50/yr | $180/yr | |
| 4.2% | 3.9% | |
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