Montana vs New Jersey
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
4/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Montana Edges Out New Jersey Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 63.6 vs 41.9, Montana 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: Montana offers cheaper farmland at $1,230/acre vs $16,000/acre. New Jersey has a longer growing season (180 vs 130 days). Montana has lower property taxes (0.74% vs 2.49%).
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 | Montana MT | New Jersey NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 5.9% | 10.75% | |
| 0% | 6.625% | |
| 0.74% | 2.49% | |
| 95 | 130 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $1,230 | $16,000 | |
| No Statewide Code | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Largely illegal; zoning typically prohibits tiny homes | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 3a-6b | 6a-7a | |
| 130 | 180 | |
| 20" | 48" | |
| 5 | 7 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| 1 | 3 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Allowed with Limits | Permitted | |
| 4.93 | 4.1 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Low | Moderate | |
| 10 | 2 | |
| Strong | Moderate | |
| Yes (Farm Sales Only) | Illegal for human consumption | |
| Yes | No | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 420 | 356 | |
| 35% | 12% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 7.6 | 1,205 | |
| 45% | 5% | |
| 70% | 95% | |
| Business | ||
| #5 | #36 | |
| $35/yr | $125/yr | |
| 2.8% | 3.7% | |
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