Ohio vs Wisconsin
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
OH
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
2/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Wisconsin Edges Out Ohio Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 66.5 vs 64.6, Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin offers cheaper farmland at $3,800/acre vs $5,800/acre. Ohio has a longer growing season (180 vs 170 days). Ohio has lower property taxes (1.56% vs 1.85%).
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 | Wisconsin WI |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 2.75% | 7.65% | |
| 7.21% | 5.43% | |
| 1.56% | 1.85% | |
| 95 | 96 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $5,800 | $3,800 | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowed | Permitted with local approval; increasingly allowed | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 5a-6b | 3a-5b | |
| 180 | 170 | |
| 48" | 36" | |
| 8 | 8 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 5 | 4 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Permitted | Permitted | |
| 4 | 3.9 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Moderate | Moderate | |
| 8 | 7 | |
| Strong | Very strong | |
| Herd Share Only | Illegal (incidental on-farm sales only) | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 383 | 299 | |
| 40% | 37% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 287 | 108 | |
| 24% | 30% | |
| 84% | 84% | |
| Business | ||
| #26 | #30 | |
| $99/yr | $130/yr | |
| 4% | 3.5% | |
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