Some states are better for homesteading, and we're not just talking about space to build and the beautiful landscape. Local state laws can make the decision to homestead almost impossible, and it's your duty to know which states are best for this purpose before you begin to move on your homesteading decision.
The Freest States For Off-Grid Living, Ranked 1-50
These rankings were divided into three broad categories: regulatory policy, personal freedom and fiscal policy. Regulatory policy is a measure of how much freedom businesses have in a state, personal freedom is a ranking of individual liberty, and fiscal policy is a measure of the level of taxes and government spending.
The study found that personal liberty and economic freedom do not always go together.
“Texas is one of the economically freest and personally least free states in the country,” the survey authors said.
The authors also discovered a correlation between the number of people leaving a state and economic freedom. Between the last survey in 2012 and this year’s survey, California had a net migration rate of -4.9 percent – meaning nearly 5 percent of the population left the state. During the same period, Texas had a net migration rate of +6.7 percent.
Following is Cato’s complete list:New Hampshire
Alaska
Oklahoma
Indiana
South Dakota
Tennessee
Idaho
Florida
Iowa
Arizona
Colorado
Nevada
North Dakota
Wyoming
South Carolina
Kansas
Montana
Missouri
North Carolina
Utah
Virginia
Georgia
Alabama
Michigan
Nebraska
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
Texas
Arkansas
New Mexico
Delaware
Washington
Massachusetts
Louisiana
Ohio
Mississippi
Oregon
Minnesota
West Virginia
Vermont
Kentucky
Maine
Rhode Island
Illinois
Connecticut
Maryland
New Jersey
Hawaii
California
New York
Homesteading is difficult enough, as it is. The last thing you need when trying to get established are local laws getting in your business and trying to force you into conforming with the rest of the flock.
As the above information points out, the states with the least amount of freedom will ultimately be the most difficult to go off-the-grid in. It should come as no surprise that these are also the states with the highest numbers of people moving out. Take a note, New York.
For more on this enlightening topic, go to Off the Grid News.
Tim Tibbles take a look.
Go Arizona!!
I’d like to read the whole study. Is there a link?
My homestead is in #35 but my county is super free.
Ed Davis Steven Horter Christine Lee
Andrew Johnson
Yes. There is a link at the end of the article.
My state (Michigan) is just shy of the halfway mark.
Idaho is really #1 if you take out the few big city’s, Just buy some land & move on, ask no one & put up anything you want , go farm / logging exempt , 35$ fee for any size farm building, live in it if you want. The banks are the problem here. Do not deal with “Panhandle Heath ” for anything .
Live free or die
Thank you.
No way Ky is that low.
California’s population grew from 36 million in 2012 to 38 million in 2016, which makes the net migration rate +5.6%, not -4.9%.
WA needs to be further down on the list, it won’t be long before we’re just an extension of CA.
Some off that list is wrong
I’m a bit confused with the list. Are they in order by good to bad or bad to good? I only ask because my husband and I are searching for land in Missouri to purchase within the next year and this information would be helpful to us
Interested in the article, but can’t get rid of the pop up “survival guide offer”!