North Carolina vs Vermont

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

North Carolina

Rank #13

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.2

Category Wins

9/10

Vermont

Rank #33

Overall Score

62.9

Category Wins

1/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.84%

Property Tax

2.1%

Cost of Living

117

$4,400

Farm Land $/Acre

$7,500

230 days

Growing Season

130 days

80"

Annual Rainfall

56"

7/10

Soil Quality

6/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

8/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

4.4 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.7 hrs

85%

Broadband

82%

North Carolina Edges Out Vermont Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.2 vs 62.9, North Carolina comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 9 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: North Carolina offers cheaper farmland at $4,400/acre vs $7,500/acre. North Carolina has a longer growing season (230 vs 130 days). North Carolina has lower property taxes (0.84% vs 2.1%).

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	North Carolina NC	Vermont VT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	4.25%	8.75%
	7.5%	6%
	0.84%	2.1%
	99	117
Land & Building
	$4,400	$7,500
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Permitted with local zoning approval; growing acceptance	Permitted with local approval; ADU-friendly policies
Climate & Growing
	7a-8b	2b-4b
	230	130
	80"	56"
	7	6
	4	2
	5	1
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	4.4	3.7
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Minimal	High
	8	7
	Very strong	Very strong
	Illegal for human consumption (herdshare/pet milk only)	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	393	155
	44%	28%
Demographics & Community
	217	68
	23%	68%
	85%	82%
Business
	#15	#44
	$125/yr	$125/yr
	3.5%	3.1%

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