New Jersey vs Vermont

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

New Jersey

Rank #49

Overall Score

41.9

Category Wins

4/10

Vermont

Rank #33

Overall Winner

Overall Score

62.9

Category Wins

6/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.49%

Property Tax

2.1%

130

Cost of Living

117

$16,000

Farm Land $/Acre

$7,500

180 days

Growing Season

130 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

56"

7/10

Soil Quality

6/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

4.1 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.7 hrs

95%

Broadband

82%

Vermont Edges Out New Jersey Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 62.9 vs 41.9, Vermont 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: Vermont offers cheaper farmland at $7,500/acre vs $16,000/acre. New Jersey has a longer growing season (180 vs 130 days). Vermont has lower property taxes (2.1% 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	Vermont VT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	10.75%	8.75%
	6.625%	6%
	2.49%	2.1%
	130	117
Land & Building
	$16,000	$7,500
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Largely illegal; zoning typically prohibits tiny homes	Permitted with local approval; ADU-friendly policies
Climate & Growing
	6a-7a	2b-4b
	180	130
	48"	56"
	7	6
	3	2
	3	1
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	4.1	3.7
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Moderate	High
	2	7
	Moderate	Very strong
	Illegal for human consumption	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	No	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	356	155
	12%	28%
Demographics & Community
	1,205	68
	5%	68%
	95%	82%
Business
	#36	#44
	$125/yr	$125/yr
	3.7%	3.1%

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