OH
Overall Score
Category Wins
3/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Utah Edges Out Ohio Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 66.6 vs 64.6, 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 $5,800/acre. Utah has lower property taxes (0.6% vs 1.56%). Ohio is more affordable with a cost of living index of 95 vs 104.
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
| Data Point | Ohio OH | Utah UT |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 2.75% | 4.65% | |
| 7.21% | 7.25% | |
| 1.56% | 0.6% | |
| 95 | 104 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $5,800 | $2,800 | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowed | Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowed | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 5a-6b | 4a-9a | |
| 180 | 180 | |
| 48" | 24" | |
| 8 | 6 | |
| 3 | 8 | |
| 5 | 2 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Permitted | Permitted | |
| 4 | 5.5 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Moderate | Minimal | |
| 8 | 9 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| Herd Share Only | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 383 | 267 | |
| 40% | 38% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 287 | 38 | |
| 24% | 11% | |
| 84% | 88% | |
| Business | ||
| #26 | #16 | |
| $99/yr | $50/yr | |
| 4% | 2.9% | |
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