Montana vs New York
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
Overall Score
Category Wins
5/10
NY
Overall Score
Category Wins
4/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Montana Edges Out New York Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 63.6 vs 58.6, Montana 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: Montana offers cheaper farmland at $1,230/acre vs $5,200/acre. New York has a longer growing season (170 vs 130 days). Montana has lower property taxes (0.74% vs 1.72%).
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 York NY |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 5.9% | 10.9% | |
| 0% | 8% | |
| 0.74% | 1.72% | |
| 95 | 113 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $1,230 | $5,200 | |
| No Statewide Code | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Zoning dependent; some towns allow with approval | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 3a-6b | 3a-7a | |
| 130 | 170 | |
| 20" | 50" | |
| 5 | 7 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| 1 | 3 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Allowed with Limits | Permitted | |
| 4.93 | 3.9 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Low | Moderate-High | |
| 10 | 3 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Yes (Farm Sales Only) | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 420 | 389 | |
| 35% | 42% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 7.6 | 423 | |
| 45% | 17% | |
| 70% | 89% | |
| Business | ||
| #5 | #48 | |
| $35/yr | $25/yr | |
| 2.8% | 4% | |
Not sure which state is right for you?
Use our free ranking tool to score all 50 states based on your personal priorities — from land prices and taxes to climate and community.
Rank States by Your Priorities
Your brand here — Reach our audience of professional directory owners and boost your sales.