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New Hampshire vs South Dakota

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

Rank #38

Overall Score

62.0

Category Wins

2/10

Rank #11
Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.6

Category Wins

6/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.18%
Property Tax
0.84%
118
Cost of Living
94
$8,500
Farm Land $/Acre
$1,950
140 days
Growing Season
160 days
50"
Annual Rainfall
28"
6/10
Soil Quality
9/10
9/10
Safety (Rural)
8/10
9/10
Gun Friendly
9/10
3.8 hrs
Solar (PSH)
4.1 hrs
81%
Broadband
81%

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

Side-by-side comparison of selected states across homesteading metrics
Data PointNew Hampshire
NH
South Dakota
SD
Taxes & Cost
NoNo
0%7.33%
2.18%0.84%
11894
Land & Building
$8,500$1,950
Yes (Statewide)No (Local Adoption)
Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly commonPermitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common
Climate & Growing
3b-5a3a-5a
140160
50"28"
69
36
26
Water & Energy
PermittedPermitted
3.84.1
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
MinimalMinimal
99
Very strongVery strong
Permitted for raw milk operations with licensingPermitted for raw milk operations with licensing
YesYes
Safety & Healthcare
130348
30%42%
Demographics & Community
14711
34%44%
81%81%
Business
#22#12
$100/yr$150/yr
2.8%2.7%

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