Overall Score
Category Wins
3/10
UT
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Oregon Edges Out Utah Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 67.3 vs 66.6, Oregon 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 $4,200/acre. Oregon has a longer growing season (210 vs 180 days). Utah has lower property taxes (0.6% 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
| Data Point | Oregon OR | Utah UT |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 9.9% | 4.65% | |
| 0% | 7.25% | |
| 0.98% | 0.6% | |
| 108 | 104 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $4,200 | $2,800 | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Increasingly permitted with zoning approval; ADU-friendly policies | Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowed | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 8a-9b | 4a-9a | |
| 210 | 180 | |
| 70" | 24" | |
| 8 | 6 | |
| 5 | 8 | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Permitted | Permitted | |
| 4.4 | 5.5 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Minimal | Minimal | |
| 6 | 9 | |
| Very strong | Strong | |
| Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 407 | 267 | |
| 46% | 38% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 42 | 38 | |
| 21% | 11% | |
| 88% | 88% | |
| Business | ||
| #39 | #16 | |
| $50/yr | $50/yr | |
| 3.8% | 2.9% | |
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