New Hampshire vs South Dakota
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
Overall Score
Category Wins
2/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
South Dakota Edges Out New Hampshire Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 69.6 vs 62.0, South Dakota 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: South Dakota offers cheaper farmland at $1,950/acre vs $8,500/acre. South Dakota has a longer growing season (160 vs 140 days). South Dakota has lower property taxes (0.84% vs 2.18%).
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 | New Hampshire NH | South Dakota SD |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| No | No | |
| — | — | |
| 0% | 7.33% | |
| 2.18% | 0.84% | |
| 118 | 94 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $8,500 | $1,950 | |
| Yes (Statewide) | No (Local Adoption) | |
| Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common | Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 3b-5a | 3a-5a | |
| 140 | 160 | |
| 50" | 28" | |
| 6 | 9 | |
| 3 | 6 | |
| 2 | 6 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Permitted | Permitted | |
| 3.8 | 4.1 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Minimal | Minimal | |
| 9 | 9 | |
| Very strong | Very strong | |
| Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 130 | 348 | |
| 30% | 42% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 147 | 11 | |
| 34% | 44% | |
| 81% | 81% | |
| Business | ||
| #22 | #12 | |
| $100/yr | $150/yr | |
| 2.8% | 2.7% | |
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