Montana vs Wisconsin
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
MT
Overall Score
Category Wins
5/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
4/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Wisconsin Edges Out Montana Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 66.5 vs 63.6, Wisconsin 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 $3,800/acre. Wisconsin has a longer growing season (170 vs 130 days). Montana has lower property taxes (0.74% vs 1.85%).
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 | Wisconsin WI |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 5.9% | 7.65% | |
| 0% | 5.43% | |
| 0.74% | 1.85% | |
| 95 | 96 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $1,230 | $3,800 | |
| No Statewide Code | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Permitted with local approval; increasingly allowed | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 3a-6b | 3a-5b | |
| 130 | 170 | |
| 20" | 36" | |
| 5 | 8 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| 1 | 4 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Allowed with Limits | Permitted | |
| 4.93 | 3.9 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Low | Moderate | |
| 10 | 7 | |
| Strong | Very strong | |
| Yes (Farm Sales Only) | Illegal (incidental on-farm sales only) | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 420 | 299 | |
| 35% | 37% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 7.6 | 108 | |
| 45% | 30% | |
| 70% | 84% | |
| Business | ||
| #5 | #30 | |
| $35/yr | $130/yr | |
| 2.8% | 3.5% | |
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