Best States for Homesteading and Gardening
James Campigotto | Oct 21, 2024
Dreaming of a life where you can grow your own food, raise chickens, and live off the land? Homesteading and gardening are growing in popularity, but some states provide better opportunities than others. Whether you're after fresh produce or the freedom of self-sufficiency, choosing the right state can make all the difference. Let's explore the top states that offer the best conditions to help you turn your homesteading dreams into a reality.
Key Takeaways
- Texas, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Delaware are the best states for homesteading and gardening.
- Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are the least favorable states for homesteading and gardening.
- Vermont residents are searching for "chicken keeping" more per capita than any other state.
- Wyoming residents lead the nation in searches for "how to homestead" per capita.
- Farmland in New Mexico is the most affordable, averaging $700 per acre, while Rhode Island is the most expensive at $22,000 per acre.
Top States for Homesteading and Gardening: How We Ranked Them
To find the best states for homesteading and gardening, we ranked each state based on these key factors:
- Climate
- Community interest (search trends)
- Gardening resources
- Cost of farmland
- Number of farms and ranches for sale
- Total acreage available
Data from sources like Yelp, Google Trends, and the USDA helped us evaluate each state's suitability for sustainable living. Ready to see where your state ranks?
- Texas, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Delaware are the best states for homesteading and gardening.
- Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are the least favorable states.
Top 10 States for Homesteading and Gardening
- Texas
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Washington
- Delaware
- Arizona
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Hawaii
- Colorado
Top States by Key Factors
Next, we break down the top and bottom states based on factors like climate, farmland availability, and search interest. This reveals where conditions are most and least favorable for more sustainable living.
- Vermont residents search for "chicken keeping" more per capita than any other state.
- Wyoming residents lead the nation in searches for "how to homestead" per capita.
- Farmland in New Mexico is the most affordable, averaging $700 per acre, while Rhode Island is the most expensive at $22,000 per acre.
- Washington has the most favorable climate for homesteading and gardening, with 38.78 inches of mean annual precipitation and a growing season that has been extended by 40 days since the 20th century.
- Texas has the largest amount of farmland and ranch land available for sale.
Methodology
We collected state-level data from Yelp, Google Trends, EPA, World Population Review, USDA, and LandWatch to determine which states are the best for homesteading and gardening. These variables and sources were used and weighted as follows:
- Favorable climate (20%)
- Average price per acre of farm real estate (20%)
- Number of farms and ranches for sale (20%)
- Total acres of farms and ranches for sale (20%)
- Number of community gardens and gardening establishments on Yelp (10%)
- Search volume per capita from the past year for "chicken keeping," "community garden near me," "gardening tips," and "how to homestead" (10%)
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Fair Use Statement
You're welcome to distribute the data for noncommercial purposes—just remember to credit this page so others can join the journey to a more sustainable lifestyle. Let's keep the conversation growing!