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Pennsylvania vs South Dakota

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

Rank #36

Overall Score

62.1

Category Wins

3/10

Rank #11
Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.6

Category Wins

7/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.58%
Property Tax
0.84%
100
Cost of Living
94
$6,800
Farm Land $/Acre
$1,950
180 days
Growing Season
160 days
54"
Annual Rainfall
28"
7/10
Soil Quality
9/10
7/10
Safety (Rural)
8/10
7/10
Gun Friendly
9/10
3.8 hrs
Solar (PSH)
4.1 hrs
85%
Broadband
81%

South Dakota Edges Out Pennsylvania Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.6 vs 62.1, South Dakota 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 Dakota offers cheaper farmland at $1,950/acre vs $6,800/acre. Pennsylvania has a longer growing season (180 vs 160 days). South Dakota has lower property taxes (0.84% 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 PointPennsylvania
PA
South Dakota
SD
Taxes & Cost
YesNo
3.07%
6.34%7.33%
1.58%0.84%
10094
Land & Building
$6,800$1,950
Yes (Statewide)No (Local Adoption)
Zoning-dependent; increasingly allowed in some municipalitiesPermitted with local zoning approval; increasingly common
Climate & Growing
5a-7a3a-5a
180160
54"28"
79
36
36
Water & Energy
PermittedPermitted
3.84.1
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
HighMinimal
79
StrongVery strong
Permitted for raw milk operations with licensingPermitted for raw milk operations with licensing
YesYes
Safety & Healthcare
421348
43%42%
Demographics & Community
29711
18%44%
85%81%
Business
#33#12
$125/yr$150/yr
3.9%2.7%

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