What are the best (and worst) states to start a new farm?
Source: Lawnstarter.com
Farming and ranching aren’t the most glamorous professions — you’re up before sunrise to till the soil and milk the cows — but they are among the most rewarding and essential jobs.
The states of Kentucky, Oklahoma, and North Dakota
ranked #1, 2, and 3 as the best states to start a new farming operation
Besides feeding the world, the U.S. agriculture industry forms a big part of our economic backbone. All the rapid innovation over recent decades, too, means modern farmers and ranchers have far greater opportunities to expand in their field.
But which states are better if you want to start a Green Acres life or be At Home on the Range where the cattle and horses roam?
LawnStarter compared the 50 states across 44 key metrics to rank the Best States to Start a Farm or Ranch. We looked at the infrastructure, prevalence, environmental factors, cost, and potential returns of farming and ranching in each state.
Scroll down for our ranking and some highlights and lowlights. And don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty planting in the soil or cleaning the pig pens.
* Best and worst states for starting a farm, based on metrics including cost of an acre of land, property taxes, average farm size acreage.
1 Kentucky
2 Oklahoma
3 North Dakota
4 Texas
5 Montana
6 Arkansas
7 Idaho
8 Iowa
9 Kansas
10 Nebraska
11 Wyoming
12 Tennessee
13 Missouri
14 South Dakota
15 Colorado
16 Oregon
17 New Mexico
18 Minnesota
19 Washington
20 Mississippi
21 Wisconsin
22 Georgia
23 South Carolina
24 Louisiana
25 California
26 Virginia
27 Indiana
28 Alabama
29 North Carolina
30 Ohio
31 Maryland
32 Arizona
33 Florida
34 Illinois
35 West Virginia
36 New York
37 Utah
38 Pennsylvania
39 Michigan
40 Nevada
41 Delaware
42 Vermont
43 New Hampshire
44 Massachusetts
45 New Jersey
46 Hawaii
47 Rhode Island
48 Connecticut
49 Maine
50 Alaska
** Methodology and other graphics may be found here
