Hawaii vs Illinois

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

Hawaii

Rank #46

Overall Score

52.3

Category Wins

6/10

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Winner

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.27%

Property Tax

2.07%

187

Cost of Living

93.4

$8,500

Farm Land $/Acre

$9,600

365 days

Growing Season

210 days

450"

Annual Rainfall

48"

6/10

Soil Quality

10/10

8/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

2/10

Gun Friendly

3/10

5.5 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.2 hrs

82%

Broadband

90%

Illinois Edges Out Hawaii Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 60.8 vs 52.3, Illinois comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 6 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: Hawaii offers cheaper farmland at $8,500/acre vs $9,600/acre. Hawaii has a longer growing season (365 vs 210 days). Hawaii has lower property taxes (0.27% 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	Hawaii HI	Illinois IL
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	8.75%	4.95%
	4.5%	8.82%
	0.27%	2.07%
	187	93.4
Land & Building
	$8,500	$9,600
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	No Statewide Code	Varies
Climate & Growing
	10a-13a	5a-7a
	365	210
	450"	48"
	6	10
	7	3
	1	6
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Unrestricted
	5.5	4.2
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Medium	Low
	2	3
	Moderate	Strong
	No	No
	No	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	271	425
	50%	35%
Demographics & Community
	211.8	225.7
	8%	12%
	82%	90%
Business
	#42	#36
	$150/yr	$150/yr
	3.1%	4.5%

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