North Dakota vs Rhode Island

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

North Dakota

Rank #12

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.5

Category Wins

7/10

Rhode Island

Rank #50

Overall Score

39.9

Category Wins

3/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.98%

Property Tax

1.63%

Cost of Living

123

$1,750

Farm Land $/Acre

$18,300

140 days

Growing Season

190 days

22"

Annual Rainfall

50"

9/10

Soil Quality

6/10

9/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

3/10

4 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.9 hrs

83%

Broadband

97%

North Dakota Edges Out Rhode Island Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.5 vs 39.9, North Dakota comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 7 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: North Dakota offers cheaper farmland at $1,750/acre vs $18,300/acre. Rhode Island has a longer growing season (190 vs 140 days). North Dakota has lower property taxes (0.98% vs 1.63%).

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 Dakota ND	Rhode Island RI
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	2.5%	5.99%
	7.87%	7%
	0.98%	1.63%
	96	123
Land & Building
	$1,750	$18,300
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Permitted with local approval; generally allowed	Largely prohibited by zoning; ADU-friendly policies limited
Climate & Growing
	3a-4a	6a-6b
	140	190
	22"	50"
	9	6
	6	3
	5	2
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	4	3.9
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Minimal	High
	9	3
	Very strong	Weak
	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing	Illegal for human consumption
	Yes	No
Safety & Healthcare
	284	349
	38%	20%
Demographics & Community
	11	1,003
	40%	10%
	83%	97%
Business
	#9	#45
	$125/yr	$150/yr
	2.1%	3.6%

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