Pennsylvania vs South Carolina

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

Pennsylvania

Rank #36

Overall Score

62.1

Category Wins

3/10

South Carolina

Rank #20

Overall Winner

Overall Score

66.5

Category Wins

7/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.58%

Property Tax

0.57%

100

Cost of Living

$6,800

Farm Land $/Acre

$3,100

180 days

Growing Season

250 days

54"

Annual Rainfall

56"

7/10

Soil Quality

6/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

6/10

7/10

Gun Friendly

8/10

3.8 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.5 hrs

85%

Broadband

79%

South Carolina Edges Out Pennsylvania Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 66.5 vs 62.1, South Carolina 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: South Carolina offers cheaper farmland at $3,100/acre vs $6,800/acre. South Carolina has a longer growing season (250 vs 180 days). South Carolina has lower property taxes (0.57% vs 1.58%).

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	Pennsylvania PA	South Carolina SC
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	3.07%	5.21%
	6.34%	7.5%
	1.58%	0.57%
	100	96
Land & Building
	$6,800	$3,100
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Zoning-dependent; increasingly allowed in some municipalities	Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common
Climate & Growing
	5a-7a	7b-9a
	180	250
	54"	56"
	7	6
	3	4
	3	4
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	3.8	4.5
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	High	Minimal
	7	8
	Strong	Strong
	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	421	506
	43%	50%
Demographics & Community
	297	165
	18%	35%
	85%	79%
Business
	#33	#24
	$125/yr	$110/yr
	3.9%	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