Nebraska vs Utah

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

Nebraska

Rank #4

Overall Winner

Overall Score

71.8

Category Wins

4/10

Utah

Rank #19

Overall Score

66.6

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.82%

Property Tax

0.6%

Cost of Living

104

$2,650

Farm Land $/Acre

$2,800

160 days

Growing Season

180 days

32"

Annual Rainfall

24"

9/10

Soil Quality

6/10

8/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

4.2 hrs

Solar (PSH)

5.5 hrs

86%

Broadband

88%

Nebraska Edges Out Utah Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 71.8 vs 66.6, Nebraska comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 4 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: Nebraska offers cheaper farmland at $2,650/acre vs $2,800/acre. Utah has a longer growing season (180 vs 160 days). Utah has lower property taxes (0.6% vs 0.82%).

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 Point	Nebraska NE	Utah UT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	5.2%	4.65%
	6.84%	7.25%
	0.82%	0.6%
	93	104
Land & Building
	$2,650	$2,800
	No (Local Adoption)	Yes (Statewide)
	Permitted with local zoning approval; state allows inclusion in residential zones	Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowed
Climate & Growing
	4b-5b	4a-9a
	160	180
	32"	24"
	9	6
	5	8
	7	2
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	4.2	5.5
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Minimal	Minimal
	9	9
	Very strong	Strong
	On-farm direct sales only	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	291	267
	32%	38%
Demographics & Community
	24	38
	30%	11%
	86%	88%
Business
	#18	#16
	$100/yr	$50/yr
	3%	2.9%

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