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Missouri vs West Virginia

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

Rank #10
Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.6

Category Wins

5/10

Rank #34

Overall Score

62.5

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.88%
Property Tax
0.57%
87.1
Cost of Living
83.2
$4,200
Farm Land $/Acre
$3,200
200 days
Growing Season
180 days
50"
Annual Rainfall
55"
6/10
Soil Quality
5/10
8/10
Safety (Rural)
6/10
9/10
Gun Friendly
9/10
4.5 hrs
Solar (PSH)
3.85 hrs
80%
Broadband
72%

Missouri Edges Out West Virginia Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.6 vs 62.5, Missouri 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: West Virginia offers cheaper farmland at $3,200/acre vs $4,200/acre. Missouri has a longer growing season (200 vs 180 days). West Virginia has lower property taxes (0.57% vs 0.88%).

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 PointMissouri
MO
West Virginia
WV
Taxes & Cost
YesYes
4.7%5.12%
8.33%6.55%
0.88%0.57%
87.183.2
Land & Building
$4,200$3,200
No Statewide CodePartial
Yes (Statewide)Varies
Climate & Growing
5b-7a5b-7a
200180
50"55"
65
32
62
Water & Energy
UnrestrictedUnrestricted
4.53.85
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
NoneMedium
99
StrongModerate
Yes (Farm Sales Only)Herd Share Only
YesYes
Safety & Healthcare
540315
40%45%
Demographics & Community
89.573.6
30%51%
80%72%
Business
#13#23
$50/yr$100/yr
3.2%4.5%

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