Rhode Island vs Virginia

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

Rhode Island

Rank #50

Overall Score

39.9

Category Wins

1/10

Virginia

Rank #26

Overall Winner

Overall Score

65.0

Category Wins

7/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

1.63%

Property Tax

0.84%

123

Cost of Living

108

$18,300

Farm Land $/Acre

$6,200

190 days

Growing Season

210 days

50"

Annual Rainfall

50"

6/10

Soil Quality

7/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

3/10

Gun Friendly

6/10

3.9 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.1 hrs

97%

Broadband

87%

Virginia Edges Out Rhode Island Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 65.0 vs 39.9, Virginia 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: Virginia offers cheaper farmland at $6,200/acre vs $18,300/acre. Virginia has a longer growing season (210 vs 190 days). Virginia has lower property taxes (0.84% vs 1.63%).

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	Rhode Island RI	Virginia VA
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	5.99%	5.75%
	7%	5.87%
	1.63%	0.84%
	123	108
Land & Building
	$18,300	$6,200
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Largely prohibited by zoning; ADU-friendly policies limited	Zoning-dependent; increasingly permitted in some areas
Climate & Growing
	6a-6b	6a-8a
	190	210
	50"	50"
	6	7
	3	3
	2	3
Water & Energy
	Permitted	Permitted
	3.9	4.1
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	High	Moderate
	3	6
	Weak	Strong
	Illegal for human consumption	Herd Share Only
	No	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	349	410
	20%	43%
Demographics & Community
	1,003	209
	10%	23%
	97%	87%
Business
	#45	#27
	$150/yr	$100/yr
	3.6%	3.4%

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