New Jersey vs Oregon

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

New Jersey

Rank #49

Overall Score

41.9

Category Wins

1/10

Oregon

Rank #18

Overall Winner

Overall Score

67.3

Category Wins

8/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.49%

Property Tax

0.98%

130

Cost of Living

108

$16,000

Farm Land $/Acre

$4,200

180 days

Growing Season

210 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

70"

7/10

Soil Quality

8/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

6/10

4.1 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.4 hrs

95%

Broadband

88%

Oregon Edges Out New Jersey Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 67.3 vs 41.9, Oregon comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 8 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: Oregon offers cheaper farmland at $4,200/acre vs $16,000/acre. Oregon has a longer growing season (210 vs 180 days). Oregon has lower property taxes (0.98% vs 2.49%).

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	New Jersey NJ	Oregon OR
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	10.75%	9.9%
	6.625%	0%
	2.49%	0.98%
	130	108
Land & Building
	$16,000	$4,200
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Largely illegal; zoning typically prohibits tiny homes	Increasingly permitted with zoning approval; ADU-friendly policies
Climate & Growing
	6a-7a	8a-9b
	180	210
	48"	70"
	7	8
	3	5
	3	2
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	4.1	4.4
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Moderate	Minimal
	2	6
	Moderate	Very strong
	Illegal for human consumption	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	No	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	356	407
	12%	46%
Demographics & Community
	1,205	42
	5%	21%
	95%	88%
Business
	#36	#39
	$125/yr	$50/yr
	3.7%	3.8%

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