North Dakota vs South Carolina

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

North Dakota

Rank #12

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.5

Category Wins

5/10

South Carolina

Rank #20

Overall Score

66.5

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.98%

Property Tax

0.57%

Cost of Living

$1,750

Farm Land $/Acre

$3,100

140 days

Growing Season

250 days

22"

Annual Rainfall

56"

9/10

Soil Quality

6/10

9/10

Safety (Rural)

6/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

8/10

4 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.5 hrs

83%

Broadband

79%

North Dakota Edges Out South Carolina Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.5 vs 66.5, North Dakota comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 5 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 $3,100/acre. South Carolina has a longer growing season (250 vs 140 days). South Carolina has lower property taxes (0.57% vs 0.98%).

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	South Carolina SC
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	2.5%	5.21%
	7.87%	7.5%
	0.98%	0.57%
	96	96
Land & Building
	$1,750	$3,100
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Permitted with local approval; generally allowed	Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common
Climate & Growing
	3a-4a	7b-9a
	140	250
	22"	56"
	9	6
	6	4
	5	4
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	4	4.5
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Minimal	Minimal
	9	8
	Very strong	Strong
	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	284	506
	38%	50%
Demographics & Community
	11	165
	40%	35%
	83%	79%
Business
	#9	#24
	$125/yr	$110/yr
	2.1%	3.6%

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