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Utah vs West Virginia

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

Utah

UT

Rank #19
Overall Winner

Overall Score

66.6

Category Wins

5/10

West Virginia

WV

Rank #34

Overall Score

62.5

Category Wins

3/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.6%
Property Tax
0.57%
104
Cost of Living
83.2
$2,800
Farm Land $/Acre
$3,200
180 days
Growing Season
180 days
24"
Annual Rainfall
55"
6/10
Soil Quality
5/10
8/10
Safety (Rural)
6/10
9/10
Gun Friendly
9/10
5.5 hrs
Solar (PSH)
3.85 hrs
88%
Broadband
72%

Utah Edges Out West Virginia Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 66.6 vs 62.5, Utah comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 5 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 $3,200/acre. West Virginia has lower property taxes (0.57% vs 0.6%). West Virginia is more affordable with a cost of living index of 83.2 vs 104.

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 PointUtah
UT
West Virginia
WV
Taxes & Cost
YesYes
4.65%5.12%
7.25%6.55%
0.6%0.57%
10483.2
Land & Building
$2,800$3,200
Yes (Statewide)Partial
Permitted with local zoning approval; increasingly allowedVaries
Climate & Growing
4a-9a5b-7a
180180
24"55"
65
82
22
Water & Energy
PermittedUnrestricted
5.53.85
YesYes
Laws & Freedom
MinimalMedium
99
StrongModerate
Permitted for raw milk operations with licensingHerd Share Only
YesYes
Safety & Healthcare
267315
38%45%
Demographics & Community
3873.6
11%51%
88%72%
Business
#16#23
$50/yr$100/yr
2.9%4.5%

Not sure which state is right for you?

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