Arizona vs Illinois

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

Arizona

Rank #8

Overall Winner

Overall Score

69.9

Category Wins

5/10

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.62%

Property Tax

2.07%

103

Cost of Living

93.4

$2,200

Farm Land $/Acre

$9,600

365 days

Growing Season

210 days

45"

Annual Rainfall

48"

5/10

Soil Quality

10/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

9/10

Gun Friendly

3/10

6.8 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.2 hrs

86%

Broadband

90%

Arizona Edges Out Illinois Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 69.9 vs 60.8, Arizona 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: Arizona offers cheaper farmland at $2,200/acre vs $9,600/acre. Arizona has a longer growing season (365 vs 210 days). Arizona has lower property taxes (0.62% vs 2.07%).

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	Arizona AZ	Illinois IL
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	2.5%	4.95%
	8.5%	8.82%
	0.62%	2.07%
	103	93.4
Land & Building
	$2,200	$9,600
	No (Local Adoption)	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	Varies
Climate & Growing
	4b-10a	5a-7a
	365	210
	45"	48"
	5	10
	9	3
	2	6
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Unrestricted
	6.8	4.2
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Low
	9	3
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Farm Sales Only)	No
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	496	425
	50%	35%
Demographics & Community
	57.05	225.7
	13%	12%
	86%	90%
Business
	#15	#36
	$50/yr	$150/yr
	3.1%	4.5%

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