New Jersey vs Utah

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

New Jersey

Rank #49

Overall Score

41.9

Category Wins

3/10

Utah

Rank #19

Overall Winner

Overall Score

66.6

Category Wins

6/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.49%

Property Tax

0.6%

130

Cost of Living

104

$16,000

Farm Land $/Acre

$2,800

180 days

Growing Season

180 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

24"

7/10

Soil Quality

6/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

4.1 hrs

Solar (PSH)

5.5 hrs

95%

Broadband

88%

Utah Edges Out New Jersey Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 66.6 vs 41.9, Utah 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: Utah offers cheaper farmland at $2,800/acre vs $16,000/acre. Utah has lower property taxes (0.6% vs 2.49%). Utah is more affordable with a cost of living index of 104 vs 130.

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	Utah UT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	10.75%	4.65%
	6.625%	7.25%
	2.49%	0.6%
	130	104
Land & Building
	$16,000	$2,800
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Largely illegal; zoning typically prohibits tiny homes	Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowed
Climate & Growing
	6a-7a	4a-9a
	180	180
	48"	24"
	7	6
	3	8
	3	2
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	4.1	5.5
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Moderate	Minimal
	2	9
	Moderate	Strong
	Illegal for human consumption	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	No	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	356	267
	12%	38%
Demographics & Community
	1,205	38
	5%	11%
	95%	88%
Business
	#36	#16
	$125/yr	$50/yr
	3.7%	2.9%

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